A Hero Never Gives Up
by Dolphinlight
Summary: When Principal Nezu hires a new science teacher from America to teach at UA High, Toshinori can't help but be drawn to her. Not only because they knew each other in the past, but for some reason she doesn't seem to be all that impressed with him. By spending time with her and getting to know her better, he hopes to show her who he really is. Rated M for language/future content.
1. Support Hero

**A/N: Welcome to my story, kind readers! At first, I wasn't going to post this and just keep it to myself, but what's the point of writing it if you don't share it? So, a little background, as I get older I find myself connecting with adult characters more so that young teenagers, so I really wanted to write a romance for my favorite anime character, Toshinori Yagi! I have already written most of this story, just struggling a bit with the ending, so I will post frequent updates after reviewing each section.**

 **This is essentially a slow burn romance, my absolute favorite! This story is set during season 1 and season 2 of the anime and does not take any drastic liberties with the original story line. Enjoy!**

Chapter 1: Support Hero

She had been doing fairly well, and the excitement was pounding hard in her chest alongside her heart. This might be the day she finally beat him at an exercise! Her fingers twitched and she could feel the power welling up from where she held it a bay for the time. She was still young and did not have as much control over it as she would like, but there was time for that. She could still become a great hero with more patience and practice. She breathed in and closed her eyes, trying to calm her mind in order to think more clearly. If she could just figure out where the most likely place he would be was, she could avoid him and make the last few feet to the exit. She hesitated, braced herself, prepared her mind for her final move…and…SWOOSH! BAM!

She fell flat on her butt, muttering a curse as a solid yellow boot slammed into her face and knocked her down. Her head spun in a daze as she tried to lift herself back up. Her face stung with pain and she was sure a nice red pock mark was slowly revealing itself across her creamy pale cheek.

"I only have one question for you, rookie. Why did you hesitate?" the gruff voice of her instructor sounded from above her as he leaned over with that intimidating scowl of his.

Her eyes swirled as she tried to focus on him and answer his question. "I-I-I'm sorry, Mr. Gran Torino, sir. I thought…I thought I could—"

"Aha! See, that was the problem, _you thought_. Being a hero isn't always about thinking things through and having a plan. Sometimes, when you get that feeling, _that instinct_ , you must act upon it or suffer the consequences. Stop relying too much on your head," Gran Torino said, and emphasized his point by poking her forehead with each word. "You could get yourself or somebody else killed."

"That's it for class for today," Gran Torino roared at the students as he stalked out of the arena, muttering something about pastries.

She sighed and finally pushed herself up onto her feet, dusting her costume off and looking sadly at the arena exit. _She had been so close this time!_ She knew she would have made it if she hadn't hesitated. It had given her teacher the opening he needed to stop her. Gran Torino was right, she still didn't have that instinct to know just what needed to be done in a situation. That instinct to make the right move at the right time. That hero instinct.

"Hey, Bubbles! Looks like that big talk earlier was all for naught? Am I right?" her nemesis called to her from across the arena. "What was that you said again? That you would "wipe the smile right off my smug face"? Looks to me like Gran Torino wiped the color right off of yours!"

She whipped her head in his direction and tried to give him her most ferocious glare, something she was never really that good at. "Shut up, Muscles! I told you not to call me that! My name is Maddie!"

"Ohoho! Need some ice for that bruise there on your face?" the tall blonde youth laughed as he walked towards her, pointing at her cheek, which was slowly turning purple.

Her face scrunched in frustration as Toshinori Yagi's broad and sparkling white smile lit up the arena. He was the one she had been trying to beat. The game had been to see who could reach the exit the quickest before their teacher, Gran Torino, could stop them. Yagi was the top student in the school, and he always won. Just once she would like to give him a reason not to smile. Just once, before her time here as a study abroad student was over and she had to go home.

Yagi laughed again at her frustration as he came to stand right in front of her. "All jokes aside though," he said. "Are you ok? I can take you to the nurse if you'd like?"

Maddie shook her head, trying to calm the rage she felt for her loss…and for the fact that as much as she tried to hate him, she could not dispute the fact that Yagi, despite his enormous popularity and annoyingly smug confident smile, was actually a very nice and caring person. A true hero in every aspect of the word, even at so young an age. It made her so mad sometimes, pretty much everything he did was right. So, she had decided to hate him based on the fact that he was rather arrogant at times and he seemed to enjoy the attention he got from the others students and teachers included. He was always smiling…always helping...and always basking in the glory of his actions. A hero shouldn't act that way! A hero should be humble, stay out of the spotlight, and truly think of everyone but themselves. That's the kind of hero she strived to be, and Yagi's different approach irritated her to no end.

"I'm fine," Maddie muttered, keeping her eyes on the ground and her teeth clenched. "Why don't you go talk to your adoring fans over there." She indicated the group of fangirls who had already started gathering and fawning over the muscled hero in training that stood before her.

"Well, to be honest I'd rather talk to you. I was hoping we could walk together to the nurse's office and you could tell me why you still don't like me. Maybe we can work out our differences," he smiled. "I already know they like me." He gave the girls a wave and they squealed and waved back in response.

"Ugh, why are you always so…so…confident," Maddie growled. She turned away from the tall muscled hero and started walking towards the school she was studying at for the semester, UA High, the most prestigious hero academy in the world.

How did she find herself, an American, walking the revered halls of Japan's finest Hero academy? She had applied for her school's study abroad transfer program and, being an impressive student with promise, was one of the few who had been selected to spend a whole semester at UA High. The grading system was different between America and Japan, which ended up causing her to be a lot younger than most of the students she had class with at UA. Her younger age, the culture shock, and the new language she had not had very much time to learn, made things all the more difficult. She pushed on, though, and continued to impress her teachers though she often felt inadequate herself. She told herself she was just happy to be gaining the experience, and she could not wait to get back home where she felt more of an equal among her peers. Besides, these Japanese kids sure were full of themselves. Especially Toshinori Yagi. Everyone was sure he would become one of the greatest heroes of all time. Why though? What made him more special than anyone else? Why should he be showered with praise and reward when there were so many other deserving students as well? She shook her head clear of the irritating thoughts and entered the girl's locker room to change into her street clothes.

After she had put on her school uniform and folded her costume up for storage and cleaning, she quickly left the building to go home to her host parents, hoping to avoid any girls who may have become jealous of the attention Yagi kept pushing on her. She accidently caught the cold glare from an upperclassman girl with some sort of snakey-wormlike things in her hair as she hurried by. Maddie shivered at the eye contact, dreading the unavoidable confrontation she would most certainly have tomorrow at school with another Yagi fangirl. The worm hair was creepy. Yikes.

Just when she thought she was finally in the clear and could lift her head back up again, she caught sight of Toshinori Yagi, who appeared to be waiting for her by the school gates. A sarcastic sigh erupted from her chest, _just great_.

The older boy was leaning against the gate with a nonchalant way about him. His piercing blue eyes locked with her slightly darker blue ones as she got closer, and she could see that dazzling white smile forming on his face. His wild mane of golden hair was, as always, a renegade mess on top of his head, and his tall, well-muscled, but youthfully lanky body just seemed to pulsate with incredible power. Despite how much he annoyed her, she was still a young hormonal schoolgirl, and she could not help but feel the little flutter of attraction in her chest when she saw him. _He was so damn hot!_ She scowled at the flush she felt rising in her cheeks caused by her silly romantic fantasies. Well, if there was no avoiding him, she hoped he would say something irritating pretty soon so she could drown her attraction to his physical appearance with her aversion to his personality.

She started walking at a quicker pace as she neared him, hoping she could just power by him with an acknowledging tilt of the head, but as soon as he realized what she was trying to attempt, he quickly darted from his relaxed position next the gate and to her side.

"On your way home?" Yagi asked, matching her pace as she continued to walk.

Maddie sighed again and slowed her pace. "What can I do for you, Muscles?" she asked. She turned her face towards his to give him her attention but continued to walk towards her home.

"You know, I really like that nickname you gave me," he chuckled. "Uh anyways, I just wanted to talk to you. Mind if I walk you home?"

"Well I hate the nickname you call me, and I thought I made it clear I wasn't interested in discussing anything with you earlier."

"A hero should never give up," he smiled.

"Alright, fine, but don't you think your girlfriends will be upset that you're talking to me?"

"Ah, yeah, you know they aren't my girlfriends. They just enjoy my company," Yagi explained, his hand rubbed the back of his neck and he seemed to be slightly nervous all of the sudden, but only slightly. The overconfident air he had about him still resonated strongly despite the nervous action.

Maddie was good at observing people, she had lots of practice doing so since she hardly ever talked to anyone, and she had noticed Yagi's slight shift in mood. She was interested in where this was going. "Well you sure do a lot of flirting with them, so I just thought—"

"That's not…well that's nothing really. Guys flirt with girls, its natural, and they seem to like the attention. I'm only trying to be nice."

"I see. So, is that what you want with me?" she lightly teased.

"What? I have to have a reason to walk a pretty girl home?" he responded in kind.

She tried to beat back the heart flutters at being called "pretty" by the most popular boy in school. "Well, I suppose that's a nice compliment but, uh, it's not going to work on me," was all she could manage with a swallow.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, side by side. Maddie stared at the ground, the horizon, anything but the tall boy walking next to her. She could feel his eyes watching her and she was getting very uncomfortable.

"So, you want to go out on a date with me?" came the next words out of his mouth.

The shock from the question hit her like a brick wall, but the sheer disbelief that he had actually asked her to go out with him as casually as if he was asking her for a piece of gum was what really stopped her in her tracks. _This guy really thought highly of himself!_ He thought he could have anything he wanted, didn't he? Without putting any effort forward, just because of who he was.

"Uh, no," she scoffed and tried to walk on.

Yagi blocked her path putting a hand on her arm before she could push away. "Can I ask why not?"

She stared up at him, annoyed that he had stopped her, but then she noticed a few of the top buttons on his shirt were undone and she could see some of the fine muscles of his neck and chest peeking through. Heat rose up into her cheeks again and she violently turned her head away, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Hey what's up with your face, Bubbles? It's turning pretty red."

She cringed internally. He must have noticed the way she had snapped her head away. She was so bad at being subtle!

"Don't tell me you _do_ actually like me…just a little bit maybe?" Yagi smiled, turning on the charm.

Maddie sighed, "Look, it's true you are undeniably attractive. I'd be made of stone not to notice, but that doesn't make up for the fact that there is just something about your personality I can't stand. On top of all that, don't you think you're a bit too old for me? So, I'll say again, no, I won't go out on a date with you."

"Ah, well, no worries," Yagi relented and let go of her arm. "I'm sure I'll be able to change your mind one of these days. In fact, I'll make it a goal of mine!" he announced with a grin.

"Well, you'd have to change the way I think of you pretty quickly. I am going back home at the end of the semester," she shrugged and started walking again.

"A hero never gives up," he reminded her.

She smiled slightly, but then mentally slapped herself back to reality. She'd probably never see him again once she left, and she really would be alright with that. In fact, she was starting to think the hero life really wasn't all it was cracked up to be. They were just a bunch of overconfident, over glorified super stars that really only cared about the fame and money they received from doing hero work, not the actual noble work itself. If anybody was living proof of that fact, it was Toshinori Yagi, the young rising star.

She glanced at him walking beside her. His arms swung wide and his gait was strong and sure. He looked straight ahead at the horizon with those piercing blue eyes, challenging anyone who would dare approach him. She wasn't like that, she didn't have that confidence and thirst for glory like he did. That's not who she wanted to be.

*Years Later*

Principal Nezu sat before her behind a large polished wood desk and rifled through a file he had opened in front of him. Part of her had a hard time believing that he existed, but there he sat, some strange mix between a bear a dog and a mouse, in a smart little waistcoat and tie. _He was so adorable!_ She had to resist the urge to pat him on the head when they had first met. He was, after all, much more intelligent that she was and may find such an act demeaning.

"So, Ms. Madelyn McLaren, hero name "Sapphire." It says here your quirk is Water Manipulation, is that right?" the furry principal asked, looking up from her resume file.

Maddie nodded, "Yes sir, that's right."

"Could you explain, briefly, what that all entails? It states some things here in your record, but I always like to hear it from you. You do know your own quirk better than anyone," Nezu smiled.

"Well," Maddie began, shifting a little in her seat opposite Nezu. "I can basically use any water source anywhere around me in any way I want to. I cannot, however, generate or create water. I can also manipulate the water in a living body, which gives my quirk certain healing and rejuvenation properties."

"I see. You have a very powerful quirk, my dear, though I see here that you have only ever worked as a support hero. Is there a reason you never went pro?"

"I just, uh, never really wanted too. The work environment never appealed to me and I had some bad experiences working with heroes in my younger days. I much prefer to stay out of the spotlight and help in any way I can behind the scenes. Which is why I applied for this job."

"Yes, well you would be basically working behind scenes here in this position, though the teaching and rearing of young heroes is possibly the most important work anyone could do. You would be in charge of teaching all science classes and, with your extensive healing experience, would serve as back-up and support to our school nurse."

Nezu shifted forward in his chair and leaned towards her over his desk as if to study her. "You would, however, be working alongside several pro heroes. Many of them rather well known and famous. Do you think that would be a problem considering you have had difficulties working with pros in the past?"

"No, sir. Like I said I was much younger and naïve back then. I thought I had all the right ideas and that everyone else was wrong. I have since seen that, despite having a problem with how much pro heroes are worshipped these days, they are nevertheless very important in keeping the peace," Maddie explained.

"Ah, yes, I can always respect someone who can admit when they are wrong and can learn from their mistakes. Very well, one last question, for curiosity's sake, what made you apply for this position? UA High is a long way from your home in America."

"I needed a change, sir. I've been where I am for too long and I wanted to do something new and important before I get too much older. I was actually part of a study abroad program here, back in high school, and when I saw this position open, it just seemed…written in the stars that I should apply," Maddie smiled thoughtfully.

"I'm very glad you did," the white furred principal replied. He sat back in his chair and looked her over, contemplating how she would fit in at his school. She was middle-aged, in or nearing her early forties, though, probably because of her water quirk, her skin appeared well hydrated and smooth. Her eyes were blue like water, her natural element, and her long golden blonde hair had streaks of aqua blue highlights peeking through. She held herself straight and currently wore a pressed white blouse with a long black skirt and modest heels for her interview. She looked very presentable, smart, and professional, but the blue highlights in her golden hair spoke of a different side to her personality. A side that she seemed to keep held back more often than naught.

"There is one last part to this interview," he finally said after he had observed her. "As you may have heard, UA High is not immune to infiltration or villainy. Because of this, all of our teachers must be able to defend their students from harm. This is why we employ so many pro heroes. That being said, I would like to test your quirk and combat abilities. Did you happen to bring your hero costume?" Nezu grinned. Perhaps that hidden side of her would show itself with a little competition.

Maddie stood in the middle of an urban arena. It seemed familiar to her, like she had trained in this arena before when she was at UA, though it had been upgraded since then. A soft wind tussled her hair and the loose parts of her half dress. As part of her costume, she wore a tight lowcut dress with sleeves down to her elbows that opened up in the front at her waistline, showing the front of her legs but covering the back. The length of the dress reached down to her calves and was made out of material that was similar to a wetsuit, but much lighter in weight. On her legs she wore tight navy-blue leggings and black combat boots going slightly up her calves. She had a sheath built into the boots that held a large knife on one side. Her dress was light blue in color with dark blue wave like patterns, and on her back, she sported two crossed short swords with black handles, just in case she ever needed them or did not have access to water. Each sword had a single sapphire embedded into the hilt.

Principal Nezu's voice spoke over the loud speaker into the arena, "Alright, Sapphire, prepare for battle. The object is to dispatch the enemies quickly and efficiently while displaying your various skill sets. I and some of my colleagues will observe from here."

 _Well in that case she had better put on a good show_ , she thought. She bent her knees, digging deep to recall her combat training she hardly ever used except in practice and wiggled her fingers, feeling the power of her quirk coursing through her. This wasn't going to be simply refilling a water cup without having to get up from the couch, this was destroying a robot, and she would have to make her quirk work a little harder than it had grown used too. Her head whipped in the direction of a loud sound as she saw several big green robots approaching her position, circling her on all sides. She was an adult and a support hero with years of work experience and though she hardly ever used her quirk for fighting, the teachers would expect a certain level of excellence from her. This wasn't going to be child's play.

The robots circled closer and she suddenly grinned for some reason, excitedly anticipating letting her power fly loose and free. She didn't usually like showing off in front of others, but there must have been something about being back here at UA, some sort of pride and nostalgia that stirred repressed feelings deep inside. With the nod of her head she mentally played one of her favorite hard rock songs through her mind to get into the mood. She then turned her quirk up full blast and tugged at a violent stream of water she sensed flowing through the pipes beneath her feet, and sent it wooshing into the first robot on her right with the force of a firehose and a thrust of her outstretched hands. The robot went flying backwards, nearly bent in half with the force of the water, and crashed into a building, rendering it inoperable.

Before the first robot had hit the ground, she was already attacking the next. She drew upon the water once again and flooded its circuits, causing it to short and explode. She sent the third careening straight into the air with a jet of powerful water straight up from the ground and it shattered on the pavement when it finally came back down. For the fourth, she thought she'd try some fancy footwork. As it approached she sent herself shooting upwards on another jet of water, twirling through the air and drawing her double short swords from her back with an audible swoosh. She pulled yet another geyser of water straight up from the ground with a hand motion and stepped onto the new water jet as the first died down, essentially running through the air on platforms of jetting water. The force of the water was enough to give her solid footing in the sky and, once close enough the robot, she took a giant leap forward and, thrusting her arms out wide, formed shapes like wings out of another spurt of water, enveloping her body and allowing her to essentially glide up over the robot. In one fluid motion, she dissipated the water wings and twirled again, coming down hard on top of the unsuspecting robot, driving her dual swords straight into its head. It crashed into the pavement with her standing on top, and she yanked the blades from its dysfunctional metal casing and flipped them back onto her back, taking a step down off the robot.

She took up a ready stance in the center of the arena, surrounded by four large, but very dead robots, and looked around for more enemies. Water swirled around her hands, ready to be sent shooting into the next foe, but instead of any of the normal bots, she was rewarded by the loudest clang she had heard yet. She whipped around to see a behemoth of a robot approaching her. It had to be several stories tall and was devastating the pavement in front of it as it slowly moved towards her. _Really?_ She thought, _the school can afford to throw money around like this?_ Well, she supposed she had better destroy it for them then.

Maddie turned to face the robot, widening her stance and digging her boots into the pavement to brace herself. The water swirling around her hands started to grow until it was swirling around her entire body and she spread her arms out wide, palms up and fingers pulsing as she glared hard at the approaching giant. She cracked another grin as she felt the incredible power building within her body while she pulled more and more water from her surroundings. Using her power like this really was an incredible high, and she hardly ever got the chance to go all out. This was an interview after all, you were supposed to promote your best self, right?

The giant robot got closer and closer, and Maddie's water wall built up higher and higher while the electric guitars and drums from her rock song playing in her mind built up into a crescendo. Soon the wall of water was just as tall as if not taller than the approaching robot. The water thundered and pulsed behind her, blotting out the sun and promising a rush of destruction and watery grave to any foe who dared challenge it. It was a raging monster, and she was ready to release it, her signature move.

"Tsunami…Wave!" she shouted as she lunged her arms and body forward and the entire wall of water came crashing forward, parting around her to save her from its wrath and smashing as hard as a rock wall into the oncoming giant. The robot flew, crashing back as several tons of water enveloped it and destroyed its electrical processes. Maddie laughed in delight as the coursing spray of the waves crashed around her and splashed her face and body with cool droplets of blue liquid. _Such an amazing high!_

All too soon an alarm blared, signaling the end of the test, and the waters started to calm down and pool in the streets of the urban arena. Maddie turned, wet hair plastered flat on her head and water rolling down her cheeks and nose, to see Principal Nezu approaching her, perched on the shoulders of a burly man in a red jumpsuit. Next to them walked a lanky man with sunglasses, wild styled hair, and what looked like a speaker system around his neck. Coming up from behind the group was another man, dressed all in black with long black hair and tired eyes.

"Sapphire!" Nezu called in pure delight, "That was truly marvelous! I suspected you were powerful, but nothing could prepare me for seeing it first-hand."

"Girl, you totally rocked it out there! High five!" the man with the speaker system yelled very loudly as he trotted up to her, sloshing ankle-deep water, with his hand held up in the air.

"Uh, thanks," she replied, awkwardly obliging him the high five with a wet slap. Now that the rush of excitement was over, she felt herself calming down and reverting back to her more reserved personality.

"I'm pro hero Present Mic. Nezu, you've got to hire this powerful lady here so we can totally jam!" the loud man continued to yell as he introduced himself and talked to Nezu at the same time. "Dude, you are so soaked, though," Present Mic pointed out to Maddie.

"Oh, that's not a problem," Maddie replied. She raised her hands slightly and closed her eyes, drawing all the excess water out of her hair, skin, and clothes until she was dry and sent it back into the environment. "I can do the same for your shoes when we head back inside if you would like," she offered.

"Niiiice," Mic said with a nod and a hand on his chin. "Nobody likes soggy socks, am I right?" the pro hero grinned and elbowed the quiet man in black standing next to him, to which he received no response other than a grunt.

"Uh, this is pro hero Eraserhead, he doesn't say very much, but he's still a pretty chill dude," Present Mic said, indicating the tired man in black next to him. Eraserhead nodded to her in acknowledgement, but did not seem as impressed as Present Mic was. "And, uh, this fine man holding onto the principal for us here is Vlad King."

The big burly man in red, Vlad King, raised a hand in greeting to Maddie.

"So, how about it Nezu? Are you going to make Ms. Sapphire here an offer? I'd say she pretty much sealed the deal with that robot action!"

"Well, there is a little bit more to teaching than just smashing robots around, but luckily I think Sapphire possesses all the right qualities and has met all of the job specifications. So, yes, I would officially like to offer you the position of science teacher and part time nurse here at UA High school," the little principal said, still on top of the burly man's shoulders so not to get drenched in the street below.

"Wow…thank you, I-I'm so flattered, I'm not sure what to say," Maddie stuttered, surprised at the abrupt job offer.

"A simple yes or no would suffice," Nezu said.

Maddie took a minute to think things through. It was an old habit of hers that she had never been able to break. She couldn't just accept right away. She needed to be sure…sure she wanted to leave everything she had ever known back home and start something totally new and alien…all her friends and family, all her experiences and memories. Would she fit in here? Would she be a good teacher? Would anybody even like her?

"Sometimes the best thing to do is just trust your instincts," Eraserhead said quietly.

An image of her old teacher, Gran Torino, flashed across her mind at his words and she looked at his tired face, secretly grateful for his sincere help. "Yes, Principal Nezu, I will accept your offer."

 **A/N: Please let me know what you think and feel free to politely correct any mistakes in your reviews. Like I said before, this is a straight up romance following the plot of the original My Hero Academia story, all I am doing is adding in a romance for Toshinori and seeing how it all fits in with the story. I think he deserves it, he's the best! I'm having so much fun writing this! Thanks for reading!**


	2. All Might

Chapter 2: All Might

*A few weeks later*

Maddie glanced around her new apartment, proud to have finally moved everything over from America to Japan. There were still plenty of boxes to unpack, and knickknacks to set up, but she would get to that later, right now she needed to prepare for her first day of work tomorrow. There would be no classes, but there was an official meeting with all of the teachers and other school business such as assigning classes and going over the new students admitted to the hero program.

She felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement about starting her new life here in Japan. She really had no idea what to expect. Her family and friends had sent her off with luck filled goodbyes, she was all moved in to her new home, and now all that was left was to see how she could handle it all. It was all happening so fast, and it was really a big leap into the unknown for someone like her, someone used to cushy and familiar surroundings. Someone always content to stand on sidelines while all the big pros did the work. Now she would be working directly with some of the top heroes in the world. She wondered who they were and if she had heard of any of them. She had met Present Mic, Eraserhead, Principal Nezu, and Vlad King, but she supposed she would just have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

A sharp bark sounded from behind her and she turned with a smile to pat her dog who had traveled all the way from America with her. He was a black and tan Shiba Inu named Jack, and he was indeed her best friend.

"What's up, Jackie? Want to eat? I'm hungry too," she said to the little dog, who promptly spun around in circles with excitement. Maddie laughed and went to grab the dog food. "At least I've got you to cheer me up, buddy."

She sat at her small little breakfast table and ate a sandwich along with a piece of her favorite dessert, chocolate. As she ate she looked around her tiny little apartment. It wasn't very much since, on a teaching salary, she wouldn't be the richest person in Japan, but she thought it was the perfect size for Jack and her. Plus, the smaller your home is the easier it was to clean, so there was always that!

"So how does it feel to be living in the land of your ancestors, Jack?" Maddie asked her little dog.

Jack looked up from his food bowl and snorted with a little headshake before continuing to eat. "Yeah, that's how I feel about it too," she replied.

The next morning, Maddie woke up to her phone alarm and started to get ready for her first day. After a modest breakfast and a short walk around her apartment complex with Jack, she grabbed her jacket and prepared to catch a train to work. Not many people had cars here due to the excellent public transportation and the compact city planning, so she figured she wouldn't need one either. At least not yet anyway. Sitting on the train, she tried to take several deep breaths to calm herself down and stop the annoying butterfly feelings fluttering around in her stomach. She always got nervous in these types of situations, and today was probably the worst she had ever felt. New country, new job, new apartment, new language and customs. It was a little overwhelming. At least she still had Jack, her one solid rock in this new ocean of possibilities. She crossed her fingers and prayed her first day would go alright. She would understand if it wasn't fantastic, she could settle with just alright. If she only made a fool of herself just slightly today, she would call it a success. Maybe she would find that one person who would be kind to her and understand what she was going through, then she might have the beginnings of a friendship, and that would make all the difference.

The train stopped at the station and she stepped off, walked down the block a-ways, around a few corners, and was soon standing in front of UA High. The school she had went to as a young girl, the greatest hero academy in the world. This time she would not be entering as a transfer student or an interviewee, this time she would be a member of the faculty and it would be her duty to help shape the young minds of the world's future heroes…with science! The thought comforted her slightly as she tried to swallow back more apprehension and anxiety. Despite all of her nervousness, she felt like something special was going to happen today as she approached the school gates. Maybe it would turn out to be fantastic day after all.

The clack of her short heels resonated through the empty halls of the school as she made her way to Principal Nezu's office. She wore business casual attire, a black skirt that came down to her knees and a nice blue blouse. She hadn't known if her hero costume would be appropriate to wear, so she decided to play it safe with her street clothes. She walked up to Nezu's office and knocked on the big wooden doors. The calm even tone of the principal's voice welcomed her in.

"Ah, Ms. McLaren, or Sapphire I should say, welcome," the little principal said as she entered the office. He escorted her towards his big wood desk asking, "How was the move? I assume everything is going smoothly?"

"Yes, sir, I am all moved into my apartment and the commute here is pleasant," she replied.

"Good, good, may I suggest the boardwalk area and Dagobah Municipal Beach Park as places to check out when you have free time. It's recently been cleaned up I hear, and I assume you enjoy spending time near water?"

"Uh, yes sir," Maddie smiled. "I will certainly look into that."

"Good, well here is your teacher ID badge and here is a copy of class schedules for the semester and a welcome packet from the school," Nezu said, handing her a stack of paper which she hurriedly took. "Though you only really need the schedule and your badge for now. You can leave the rest here and get it later. Are you ready to meet the staff?"

"Yes," she said, putting a large portion of the paper stack back on the desk.

"Alright, follow me to the teacher's lounge. They are all very excited to meet the new hire," Nezu said as he guided her out of the office. "Oh, and not that you don't look lovely, my dear, but you are more than welcomed to wear your hero costume to work. Most people do, it reminds the students of who we are and what this school is all about."

"Of course, sir," Maddie replied, already feeling self-conscious on her first day.

Nezu entered the teacher's lounge with Maddie walking behind him. She paused to take a deep breath in preparation, closing her eyes for a second, and then walked into the surprisingly comfortable looking room. There were couches and soft chairs everywhere with plenty of tables and nice coffee machines. On one table was a collection of breakfast sweets and foods. These teachers seemed to enjoy some comforts.

"Yes! Ms. Sapphire is finally here! I've been telling these guys about you, but I knew they had to see for themselves," the boisterous Present Mic announced as soon as she was visible. He bounced up from his place on a couch and approached to heartily shake her hand.

The rest of the people in the room looked her way, all eyes on her. _Great_. Most of them looked at her with friendly curiosity, though there were also many blank stares. The yellow caterpillar in the corner of the room on the floor with the long black hair spilling out didn't even move.

"Alright, alright, settle down," Nezu said, waving his hands and standing up on a table. "I suppose we had better start with introductions since Mic seems to have already started them for us." He motioned Maddie towards him next to the table and Mic sat back down on the sofa.

"This is our newest team member, Sapphire," Nezu introduced. "Her real name is Madelyn McLaren. She comes to us from a hero agency in America where she was working as a support hero, and she will be the new science teacher as well as assistant to Recovery Girl when needed. Her quirk has some minor healing abilities. Recovery Girl could you raise your hand so Sapphire will know you?"

A very small women with gray hair and wrinkles smiled and waved from a large chair, "Nice to meet you, Sapphire."

"Will you show her the nurses' office when we are done here?" Nezu asked.

"Yes, of course," Recovery Girl responded.

"Excellent, now for the rest of you," Nezu said, and named each remaining teacher and member of the staff while explaining their position at the school. They all waved, smiled, or nodded in acknowledgment when he named them. Maddie hoped she could keep them all straight. Cementoss, Ectoplasm, Snipe…they were all a sight to behold. Confident and strong with amazing quirks. She felt herself shrink a little with each one Nezu named. The best she could do was weakly smile and nod as they were introduced feeling their eyes taking her in and silently analyzing and judging her. Especially one of the only other female teachers in the room, Midnight. She gave Maddie a stare and a wink that made her quite uncomfortable…and that costume she wore…just wow.

"Now that we have all been properly introduced, would you all get out your schedules please and we can go over classes and the new students. Sapphire, grab a seat, and if you would like some coffee or snacks, please make yourself at home, you are part of the team now," Nezu indicated.

Maddie nodded and started to make her way to get a cup of coffee, when the door burst open like a hurricane and, with what seemed like a fanfare of triumphant music, the largest man in the most atrocious yellow pinstripe suit she had ever seen burst into the room, announcing in a booming voice,

"I AM HERE!"

The room froze in absolute silence until the yellow caterpillar on the floor, that happened to be Eraserhead in a sleeping bag, murmured, "About damn time," breaking the stunned silence.

"Ah, All Might, I'm glad you could join us. I knew we were missing someone," Nezu said.

Nobody else seemed all that impressed at the large man's dramatic entrance, but Maddie's eyes widened, her heart raced, and it felt like a stone had dropped in her stomach at the sight of him. That long strong jawline, those piercing blue eyes, the head of bright golden hair, that annoyingly wide grinning smile. Old memories stirred up in her head, ones she had tried to forget no matter how popular he had become and how much she had seen him in the news over the years. The number one hero, the symbol of peace, All Might…Toshinori Yagi. The real reason she hadn't become a pro hero.

His eyes locked onto hers, she could feel the intensity of his gaze as they raked up and down her frame. She stared right back, not daring to move. Maybe he wouldn't remember her? Maybe he had gotten so famous and met so many people he had forgotten? She was older now and she had changed some since high school, maybe he wouldn't even recognize her? She clenched her fists, praying his eyes would just move on.

"Bubbles…" he gasped quietly, jaw slowly gaping.

Shit.

* * *

Toshinori Yagi had been running late, true, but ever since he had come to Musutafu City, he had been swamped with hero work. It seemed villains were on the rise again, and even his presence wasn't enough to stop them. Training young Midoriya had also taken up much of his time, but he didn't mind, and he was sure Nezu would understand. So, when he finally sprinted up to the teachers' lounge and made his traditional big hero entrance, his already overloaded mind completely drew a blank and almost short circuited when he saw his old high school crush standing there next to Nezu. He recognized her right away, and all he could do was stare and just take in all she had become over the years since he had seen her last.

She still had the cute round face with those big blue eyes and soft blonde hair that he remembered, but she had certainly changed, and the sight of it was enough to make a guy like him weak in the knees. Her body was now mature and womanly, and she had all the right curves in all the right places from her chest to her hips and her gorgeous legs. The cute black skirt and blue blouse she wore really showed off everything going on, and he couldn't stop his eyes from moving between her butt and breasts. She had really grown into a beautiful woman, and he was slightly ashamed of himself for staring so much. After taking many detours, his eyes finally made it back to hers, which seemed to be staring at him in shock, and he was finally able to get out the one name that popped into his head, the name she had hated so much that he had called her.

"Bubbles…"

He saw her visibly cringe at his words, which hurt him a little, and he knew she knew who he was. How could she not? He was the number one hero in the world. Everyone knew his name. He had also spent quite a lot of time in America, one of his favorite countries, and he was sure she had seen him in the news many times.

"Muscles," she responded with what seemed like some relief mixed with disappointment in her voice. He didn't care though, he was immediately and absolutely ecstatic to hear her call him that nickname again.

Completely ignoring the eyes of everyone in the entire room locked onto their uneasy reunion, he strode confidently forward, beaming a bright smile and ignoring the scowl growing stronger on her face. She tried to avoid him when she saw the intent in his eyes, but he scooped her up into his arms before she could get away and gave her the biggest Plus Ultra hug he could manage…without squashing the life out of her of course.

"Bubbles! I cannot believe that you're here! It has been way to long my friend!" Toshinori laughed as he lifted her up into the hug.

"Woah, woah, ok alright, you can put me down now!" She shouted, somewhat panicked.

"Oh, how wonderful! You two know each other?" Nezu exclaimed, bringing his hands together.

Maddie gave him a death stare as she struggled in All Might's arms. She was beginning to suspect the principal knew damn well that they had known each other and had purposefully not told her he was working here too. They rest of the staff appeared to still be struggling with the connection and were still staring at the spectacle, though Present Mic seemed to be on the brink of laughter as she continued to struggle in All Might's giant muscled arms.

The big man finally put her down and she stumbled backwards a bit and tried to straighten her disheveled hair and clothing. "Well, good to see you again too, I suppose, Yagi," she said, smoothing her blouse. "And, the name is still Maddie. It was never Bubbles, as I've expressed to you before."

Maddie's face was beet red and she tried not to look into the eyes of anyone, much less All Might. She could not believe how horrible her first day had become. Would anyone respect her or take her seriously after this? Now they were all going to laugh and call her Bubbles, weren't they? _Oh, universe, how could you be so cruel! Things had been going so well!_ Now All Might was here to mess everything up as per usual.

"Yes, that's, right," Toshinori beamed. "I forgot how much you used to hate it when I called you that."

"Wait, so, clear some stuff up for us. You guys know each other?" Present Mic asked, voicing the entire room's question.

"Yes, indeed! Maddie here went to UA back in high school. I met her there," Toshinori explained. "Little Maddie McLaren, or Bubbles as I called her, since she has a water quirk."

"Well it was only for one semester and we weren't in the same class," Maddie huffed.

"True, true, but that didn't matter too much. We saw each other a lot. She was always trying to get the best of me," the big man said.

"Wait, you went to UA? Why didn't you become a pro hero? You would have been a shoe in," the hero Snipe asked in his metallic voice.

"You're not a pro hero?" Toshinori said in confusion, looking at Maddie.

"Now, now, I think that's a discussion we can save for later," Nezu interjected as Maddie's face started to turn red again. "Remember, this is Sapphire's first day, we should make her feel welcomed and not bombard her with personal questions. That will all come in due time. All Might, Sapphire, please take a seat. We should get this meeting started."

Maddie averted her eyes to the carpet and quickly sat on the nearest couch, trying to distract herself with the schedules and avoid eye contact with anyone. Toshinori stood in place for a while, still slightly confused until he took up a place in the back, leaning against the wall. He'd have to catch her after the meeting, he had a few questions.

Maddie walked down the hall towards her new classroom alongside Recovery Girl once the meeting was over. She had ducked out of the room quickly, but forgot she was supposed to have a meeting with the school nurse and had to skulk back and find the woman. Recovery Girl waved her down and offered to show her where the science classroom was with a friendly smile.

"I'm sorry you haven't been having the best day. I thought you might appreciate some help getting away from all the inevitable questions they're going to bombard you with sooner or later," the small elderly woman said as they were walking.

"Oh, yes thank you," Maddie sighed. "But, how did you guess?"

"I know the face," Recovery Girl chuckled. "And the way you scurried out of there as soon as Principle Nezu was done, hehe! I knew you just wanted to be alone."

"Well you'd be right – though I don't mind your company at all!" Maddie hurriedly corrected, waving her hands in apology.

"It's alright, dear, I understand. I'm glad to help," the school nurse said. "I'm rather good at helping people with their problems, physical and emotional. You can always come to me for advice. I've been around the block a few times."

"Thank you," Maddie said, appreciative of the support and understanding from the woman. She felt comfortable with her, more comfortable than she had felt all day.

They approached a big door in the hallway with a sign on it that read "Science Class," and entered. Recovery girl flicked on the lights to reveal a good-sized classroom, a nice teacher's desk, and several student desks facing the front of the room. There were several long lab tables spaced out in the back, each with their own sink and set of drawers. Otherwise the room was rather bare, but Maddie had plans to spice it up with some science posters here and there.

"Now, you will have about twenty students at a time. Each group will be either a hero class, we have two of those for each year, a general studies class, a support class, or a business class. We already went over the schedules in the meeting. The hero classes train in hero studies on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so you won't have them then," Recovery Girl Explained. "Even though you teach science, always be ready to assist me if I should need you or to help in the training of the young heroes. Most of us pitch in any way we can. Though my work and the hero training courses usually go hand and hand so you will probably be helping quite often," she finished with a chuckle.

They left the science room and made their way to the nurses' office where Recovery Girl showed Maddie where everything was and how she usually handled day to day problems. "The hero class students often have major injuries, though I am authorized to heal them with my quirk and they don't have to go to the hospital if they are well enough to go home afterwards. I do actually have my medical degree, it was part of my own hero training."

Maddie smiled and listened to Recovery Girl explain everything. She knew the woman was trying to take her mind off of all of her current problems by filling it with knowledge and information, but Maddie couldn't keep the nagging feeling that she would have to deal with All Might and the rest of the teachers eventually. She really just wanted to go home and collapse on the couch with a bar of chocolate at this point.

"What is the extent of your healing abilities?" Recovery Girl asked.

"I can manipulate the water in a person's body cells to stimulate faster healing and hydrate the wound. It really only works on minor injuries, but a person's body is made up mostly of water, so I have found my quirk it to be a useful medical tool. I much prefer to help people heal than to fight villains head on."

"That's one of the reasons why you chose the support hero path, I assume," Recovery Girl stated.

"Yes."

"It's a good reason, you can tell the other teachers that when they ask. True, your quirk is very powerful and very versatile, but you have to do what makes you the happiest in the long run, and I think you have done plenty of good," she said, patting Maddie's hand.

Maddie had to stop the sudden swell up of grateful tears for the woman's words by biting her lower lip. "Thank you so much."

"Though I must tell you, I suspect there is more to it. I hope you can trust me enough one of these days to let me help you work through it. You are a bright young woman, you shouldn't let past experiences hold you back from doing what you want to do," Recovery Girl said, raising her eyebrows.

Maddie gaped, not sure what to say to that. Recovery Girl was indeed a wise woman. Before she could come up with a response, however, a mustard yellow mass of muscle abruptly arrived in the nurse's office and quickly dominated the conversation.

"There you are! Bubb – I mean, uh, Sapphire, may I speak with you? I thought we could go get some coff—" Toshinori started to ask but Maddie cut him off.

"No. I'm sorry but it's been a long, strange day, and I would like to go home now," she said shortly and walked briskly out of the office with a farewell nod to Recovery Girl.

Toshinori was taken aback by her rude interruption, but soon shook it off and started to follow her. Recovery Girl stopped him with a soft arm on his and a knowing look. "Do yourself a favor and take it slow with her, Toshinori. Let her get to know you before you push her too hard."

"Very well," he replied, slightly confused as to why she would say that, before speed walking after Maddie's retreating figure.

Maddie was out of the school building and almost to the gates when All Might caught up with her. She would have used her quirk to get away faster, but she wasn't wearing the right shoes to for water surfing, and finally just sighed and decided it was better to get this conversation over with sooner rather than later. She turned around to face All Might and slightly braced herself for what she knew was coming.

"All right, you obviously won't leave me alone until we do this thing, so let's do it. What do you want?" she snapped.

Toshinori recoiled at her abrupt words and was starting to get an idea of what Recovery Girl was talking about. Did she have a problem with him? He didn't understand, they hadn't seen each other in years. Surely, he hadn't done anything to deserve her wrath. "I just wanted to catch up and ask you about how things have been going in your life. I know a great place just down the street if you'd like to get some coffee. I noticed you didn't have any at the meeting."

"Look, maybe some other time, I've had a rough day and I would like to go home now. Is there anything I can tell you that would satisfy you for the time being?" she sighed. She was really not in the mood to sit with his pompous ass for a couple hours and be interrogated.

"Oh, very well, another time then!" he exclaimed. "Can I walk you to the station?"

"No, really I'm fine. Let's just get this done right here," she insisted.

"Alright, I supposed I'd just like to know if I've offended you somehow? You didn't seem all that happy to see me," Toshinori asked.

"I just wasn't expecting you. You kind of took me off guard, and then you embarrassed me in front of the entire staff. They're going to give me so much shit for this, you know," she said in slight exasperation.

"I guess they are," Toshinori chuckled in his deep heroic voice. "I'm really sorry, I was just so excited to see you again. It's…very good to see you, Maddie. You…uh…you look great," he stumbled a little over the right words to say but said them with a warm and genuine smile.

She was surprised by his sincerity, something she wouldn't have expected from the old Toshinori back in high school. She couldn't help but respond with a slight smile of her own at his words. Maybe it was kind of good to see him again too.

Toshinori's eyes lit up at her smile and his got even broader. "Aha! You _are_ happy to see me too, if maybe just a little?"

A scowl immediately took over her features and she remembered how mad at him she was. She turned to walk off in a huff. Of course, he was still the same. People didn't change. He was still the same self-absorbed idol that couldn't function if even one person didn't like him. Well he was in for it with her. He'd have to work extra hard if he wanted to get on her good side. There was so much built up anger that she had never had the chance to let go of that she wondered sometimes what it had all been about in the first place. Was it really even his fault she hadn't become a hero…or was it maybe just hers. There was a reason everyone worshipped him, he really was a good person and a good hero…there was just something about that fact that irritated her.

She slowed her hurried walk and glanced back over her shoulder. He was standing in the same spot, hands on his hips, watching her walk away. That irritating smile was still plastered across his face and the mustard suit was only adding insult to injury. She was having a bad day…surely, she was allowed to take it out on him, right?

"Your suit is horrible," she said loud enough for him to hear her, and then she proceeded to walk to the station.

"Eh?!" he started, the corners of his smile turning down just slightly, as she flounced away with an amused grin on her face.

* * *

After a nice bath, a warm bowl of soup, some chocolate cake for dessert, and snuggling in bed with Jack, Maddie was back at school the next day, preparing for her first class. She had brought in a few science posters and put them up, though she knew she would need to buy a few more things to really make the room pop. She decided to grab a cup of coffee before class started and made her way to the teachers' lounge.

"Ah, Sapphire, nice to see you came back to work after all that excitement yesterday," a smooth voice said as soon as she entered the room. Maddie looked up to see the pro hero Midnight sitting on a couch with coffee and the news in hand.

"Ah yes, well, a hero never gives up right?" Maddie nervously chuckled, wondering why that sounded familiar as soon as she said it.

"True. Hey, come sit with me for a while," Midnight said. "It's so nice to have another girl around here to talk too."

"Oh, alright, let me just get some coffee," Maddie replied, not really sure where this was going. Midnight had made her feel strangely uncomfortable yesterday at the meeting.

Once she had sat down with Midnight, the seductive pro hero looked her up and down and licked her lips. "What a delicious snack you are, I'm sure we will be good friends."

"Uh…thank you," Maddie replied.

"My real name is Nemuri Kayama, feel free to call me that if you wish," Midnight said, taking a sip from her coffee. "So, are you ready for your first day?"

"Yes, I hope so. I've never officially taught in classroom before."

"The kids here are usually pretty well behaved, but if you have any problems with any of them just let one of us know. We'll rough 'em up for you," she said with a wink.

"Sure…" Maddie replied under her breath.

"Oh, don't be so reserved, we're friends now! Besides, Nezu showed us all your interview video, you're quite the little badass. I'd love to work with you sometime, it would be so much fun! I know you only work in support, but do you happen to have your hero license?" Midnight enthused.

"Yes, actually, just in case. I've never really had the need to use it."

"Well you can use it now! Just imagine, you and me fighting the dark streets of Musutafu! I'll knock them out and then you'll flush them out!" Midnight dreamed.

"Hey, hey, already getting our new hire involved eh, Midnight?" the voice of Present Mic came from the door as he walked into the lounge. "Sorry to tell you, but she already made plans with me to party!" The loud hero gave her a wink.

"I doubt that since she rushed out of here yesterday with All Might chasing her tail – oops! Sorry, Sapphire, I told myself I wasn't going to bring that up!" Midnight exclaimed, clamping her hands over her mouth.

"Oh yeah, hey what was that all about anyway?" Mic asked.

"You guys saw that?" Maddie blushed. "You know, we're old friends, but he kind of irritates me so I didn't really feel like talking to him."

"He irritates you! Haha! Someone who doesn't like All Might! I've got to tell Aizawa, you two would get along really well. All Might irritates him too!" Mic exclaimed with glee.

Maddie thought about the quiet sleeping caterpillar, Eraserhead, Shota Aizawa. If he didn't sing All Might's praises either, maybe she should ask him about it. It might make her feel better for knowing she was not the only one.

"Well, anyway, we should all totally hang out this weekend, show Sapphire the sights! What do you say?" Mic asked.

"Sounds great! Sapphire?" Midnight asked.

"Oh, sure, thank you very much," Maddie replied, starting to feel quite accepted…and no one had brought up the "Bubbles" thing yet!

"Cool, I'll let some of the other guys know. Anyways, got to go to class, good luck!" Mic said, getting up from the couch and heading out.

"See ya, Yamada," Midnight said to Present Mic. She grabbed Maddie's arm, "Hey I'll walk with you to your classroom, mine's not too far from there."

The two women walked through the school halls as bells started ringing and students started filling up all the empty spaces, chattering and asking each other how vacation and summer had been. Midnight slipped her arm into the crook of Maddie's elbow and drew her closer so that they were walking together like old gal pals.

"Love your costume by the way, it's so sexy," Midnight complimented.

"Oh, thank you. Though compared to yours I'd say its mild," Maddie remarked, then immediately hoped she hadn't gone too far by calling out Midnight's skin tight white body suit and handcuffs.

Midnight just laughed, "Very good! You've got some sass, I love it!" She suddenly pulled Maddie to the side and faced her, leaning in closer and speaking low so no one could hear them, "I didn't want to ask when Yamada was with us, but I noticed a bit more than "irritation" between you and All Might. I mean, he had eyes only for you the entire time, not something you would expect from two casual long lost friends reuniting. There seemed to be some tension between the two of you. Now, I don't want to pry, but if you need a girlfriend to talk to about anything, you let me know, ok?"

Maddie was taken aback by the sudden confession. Was everyone so starved for gossip around here, or was it just Midnight? Maybe she was just being genuine and wanted to help? Maddie couldn't help but be wary of pro heroes, however, and just nodded with a swallow in return, "Maybe we can talk more this weekend."

"Alright, I'll be looking forward to it," Midnight smiled and then sashayed away from Maddie, making sure to show off for some wide eyed first year students in the hallway.

Maddie shivered a little. That was going to take some getting used to, but there seemed to be a friendship possibility. It was weird, why was adult life so similar to being back in high school again?

"Sapphire! There you are!" she heard All Might shout right next to her. She nearly jumped out of her skin and glared at him. How did he just appear out of nowhere like that all the time?

"Good Morning, All Might," she said through gritted teeth and turned to start walking to her classroom again.

He kept pace beside her. "How's your day going so far?" the big man asked.

She glanced at him and shrugged. "Not too bad, though Midnight can be a little…forward."

"Ah yes! Just one wonderful aspect of her personality," the number one hero observed.

Maddie looked at him and shook her head. She saw that today he was wearing a red hero costume that fit him well. Very well, in fact, so well that she could see every bulging muscle on his body. The pinstripe suit yesterday had not been as revealing. _How typical of him, what a show off_ , she thought, yet had to quickly look away in case he noticed how long she was staring.

"I saw your interview video this morning, seems like you've come a long way since school. It really is incredible the way you can manipulate your quirk," Toshinori continued. "Makes me wonder why you didn't go pro, haha!"

She could tell what he was trying to do. "Well that's my own business isn't it."

"Oh, yes I suppose."

"Good, now this is my classroom, I should really get going."

"Of course, but could I ask, since you seem rested up and all, if you'd like to go for that coffee today maybe? Or maybe this weekend? If that's a better idea?" Toshinori asked with a hopeful grin.

"I'm afraid I'll need this week to finish decorating my classroom and to prepare lessons, and I'm already going out with Midnight and Present Mic this weekend, so maybe another time," Maddie smiled sweetly while wishing with all her might he would leave already. Several students were already gathering in the hall to admire the number one hero.

"Oh, alright then, you kids have fun," he said with some disappointment. "I'll just be going, I've got to introduce myself to the new hero classes."

"Ok, bye now," she said, hand on the handle of her door.

"Yes, see you later," Toshinori replied with a two fingered salute. He turned and walked away, and Maddie got a full view of how well his suit showed off his well-endowed rear end. She felt her cheeks flushing again. _That was quite an ass the symbol of peace had on him!_

"Are you staring at All Might's butt?" a girlish voice said and Maddie looked down in surprise at a young student with pigtails snickering at her.

"What!? No, no, no, no! Well that would be inappropriate wouldn't it?" she nearly yelled waving her hands in front of her frantically.

"Sure," the girl shrugged with a giggle and then walked into the science classroom.

 _Wonderful_.

Her first couple of classes went very well. Maddie was somewhat surprised how well behaved and respectful these Japanese students were, though she hadn't had any hero student classes yet, and from what she could remember when she was at school with them, they could be pretty full of themselves. It was a Tuesday, though, so she wouldn't get any until tomorrow. They were all being evaluated by their home room teachers today as part of their hero training.

As soon as her classes were over, she sat down at her desk to review her lessons. She had started out talking about water and its properties, showing off her quirk at points to make the lesson more engaging. The students seemed to like it and remained attentive through the class, taking notes and asking questions. They were all remarkably bright, but that's what it took to get into UA. As she was reviewing her lessons and trying to memorize student names, her office phone buzzed and she answered it.

"Sapphire, we've already got our first patient of the year in the nurse's office, would you care to come by?" Recovery Girl spoke on the other side of the phone.

"Of course, I'll be right there," Maddie said. She hung up and made her way to the nurse's office.

When she walked in, the room was relatively quiet and seemed empty, but then she noticed the young boy sitting on one of the recovery beds by a window. He had a mess of green hair and his face was spattered with freckles. His green eyes darted across a composition notebook that looked like it had seen better days. He must have been a first year, he looked very young, and she also assumed he was in the hero program since she hadn't seen him before. Maddie thought he was absolutely adorable.

He looked up from his notebook when he heard her enter the room and smiled shyly, "Oh hello, are you Ms. Sapphire? Recovery Girl said I had to wait for you before she could heal my finger." He held up a purple bruised pointer finger to show her.

"Yes, I'm Ms. Sapphire, I'm new here this semester, what's your name?" Maddie asked, sitting down in a chair across from the boy.

"I'm Izuku Midoriya, from hero class 1-A. Nice to meet you! If you don't mind me asking, you're not from here are you? I mean, I know about most of the teachers here at the school, but I didn't know who you were," Midoriya said with some nervousness. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry, I just really enjoy learning about different heroes and their quirks, and I had never heard of yours before."

"Well you would be correct, I'm from America, and I've mostly worked in hero support, so if you've only followed pro heroes you've probably never heard of me. My quirk is water manipulation, and I can use it to provide minor healing as well," Maddie explained while pulling water to her outstretched palm and swirling it around for Midoriya to see.

"Wow that is so cool!" Midoriya gasped with sparking eyes. "Mind if I take notes?"

"Of course not," Maddie giggled. _So adorable!_

"You know, I don't often meet support heroes, sometimes I forget they are just as cool and important as pros," Midoriya said as he started a new page in his notebook and tried to sketch her out, even with his messed-up finger. "Your costume is really awesome too!"

"Thank you. It was made from wetsuit materials and has the ability to keep my skin dry even if I get wet and can store water so I have resources to draw on if there is no water nearby. Plus, its extra comfy."

"That's incredible!" Midoriya exclaimed reaching out to touch her costume material.

"All right you two, that's enough making googly eyes at each other, it's time to heal that finger and send you on your way, Midoriya," Recover Girl announced, coming around the corner into the room.

Maddie laughed at her comment and Midoriya jumped and looked ashamed. "It's all right, Midoriya, I know you're just really curious about my quirk. I'm sure you'll have my class pretty soon, and I give you permission to ask me all you want about it," Maddie assured him.

"Thank you, I look forward to taking your class, ma'am," Midoriya said with a little head bow.

Recovery Girl walked up to the beside and grabbed Midoriya's hand. "Ok, now this won't hurt one bit," she said and puckered up her lips, stretching them out to kiss Midoriya's finger.

"Ahhhhh!" he shouted.

Maddie couldn't help but laugh. Recovery Girl was great! She soon has Midoriya's finger wrapped in a light bandage to help it finish healing and had sent him out the door. He waved goodbye and shouldered his backpack while storing his notebook carefully like it was his most prized possession.

"Such a sweet boy. I hope All Might doesn't get him into too much trouble," Recovery Girl said. "But I have a feeling we are going to be seeing much more of young Midoriya in here. He just can't control that quirk of his. This is the second time I've had to patch him up."

"All Might? What does he have to do with Midoriya? Why can't he control his quirk?" Maddie asked, confused.

"Um, let's just say All Might has taken the boy under his wing. He's helping him train. Midoriya's quirk is too powerful for his body right now so he usually breaks bones every time he uses it. All Might's been helping the boy train his body to better handle it."

It seemed like Recovery Girl was leaving something out, why would All Might be that invested in a random school boy? She decided to let it go for now though. She guessed every hero needed a protégé, especially since the symbol of peace didn't have any of his own children. She wondered why that was? More importantly she was annoyed that All Might seemed to be butting into every part of her life whether she liked it or not. Now he was involved in training the first student Maddie had really connected with, was there no escaping him?


	3. I Don't Need Your Wings to Fly

Chapter 3: I Don't Need Your Wings to Fly

The week went on and seemed to be flying by. Maddie had successfully managed to duck All Might a few more times, though one of those times it seemed like he was ducking her. She had seen him dash off at the sight of her in the distance, and thought it looked like steam was coming off of his body, but maybe she was just imagining things. Also, she had finally had the hero class students for science class. They did seem a bit more pleased with themselves than the rest of the classes, especially the first years, but they were still pretty good students considering. Midoriya was still just as kind and slightly timid in class, though incredibly smart. He was a problem solver, which worked great in a science class. Tenya Iida was a great leader with a strong sense of manners and etiquette, Ochaco Uraraka was sweet and eager with a more serious side to her at times, and she loved Tsuyu Asui's froggy style and calm demeanor…she could go on and on about class 1-A. She knew she wasn't supposed to pick favorites, but she couldn't help but enjoy the quirky characters of the first-year hero class the most…except for possibly Katsuki Bakugo. That hot headed kid needed a slice of humble pie.

After a few more days, and another visit to Recovery Girl for Midoriya, who had broken his entire arm during his first training exercise, Maddie packed up her grading for the week and headed home, actually looking forward to hanging out with her coworkers over the weekend. She caught up to Present Mic on her way out to ask how they should meet up.

"Hey, Hizashi, do you have any plans finalized for the weekend?" she asked. They were her co-workers, so she had started referring to them by their actual names lately rather than their hero names, and being from America, she was used to using first names rather than last names.

"Oh hey, Maddie. Yeah, mind if a few of us swing by your place and pick you up Saturday night?" he asked.

"Sure, that's fine, here's my address," she said, writing it down for him. "Just give me a heads up before you come over so I can be ready. Um, by the way, are you guys inviting All Might?"

"Hmm, probably not. He's a bit older than us and uh, he's always doing hero work. Then, when he's finally done saving people for the day, he's usually all washed up and out of energy to do anything else. I could always ask him though if you really want him to come. I'm sure he'd make an exception for you," the voice hero said with a wink.

"No, don't worry about it. I've actually been trying to avoid him. What do you mean by saying he runs out of energy? I thought he was indominable twenty-four seven," Maddie asked, curiously, this was the first she had heard of All Might running out of energy.

Hizashi looked confused. "Wait you don't know, dude? Yeah, he can't do hero work as much as he used to be able too. He sort of runs out of battery and has to rest after a couple hours. I would have thought someone would have told you about it by now so you won't freak out when you see him. You know what, I've said enough. There's probably a reason you don't know yet and I've gone and run my big mouth about it again. Just ask him yourself if you want to know."

"Hmm, ok, I didn't know," Maddie said, suddenly intrigued about All Might. Maybe that's why he dodged her the other day.

"He's been asking about you a lot anyways. Always wondering if we've seen you or know where you are. I know you don't really like him that much, but you should probably talk with the guy. He deserves that much, right? Plus, it will get him off our backs about you. It's kind of annoying," Hizashi added.

Maddie felt her stomach drop with guilt at his words. He was right, of course, she had been treating All Might a little unreasonably lately. "Alright, I'll go get coffee with him next week," she sighed.

"Awesome," Hizashi gave her two thumbs up. "Well see ya tomorrow!"

* * *

Hizashi Yamada had to make a quick stop at the teacher's lounge before heading out for the week. As he entered the room, he was slightly surprised to see the skeletal version of All Might sitting on the couch with his face in his hands. Hizashi set his stack of papers for his English class down on a table and approached the deflated looking number one hero.

"Hey, are you ok, man?" he asked with some concern. It was unusual to see All Might in this state, though it was becoming all the more common, a fact that concerned the voice hero.

Toshinori looked up from his hunched position at the sound of Present Mic's voice. "Oh hello, Mic, yes I'm…uh…I'm alright. Just a little tired," he said, putting on a smile to reassure his coworker, though he knew his currently sunken eyes, frail body, and deflated hair were probably not very reassuring. The truth was he was disappointed in himself. Ever since he had given One For All to Midoriya he hadn't been able to hold his form for more than like three hours. It was depressing how weak he had become. He had absolutely no regrets, and if he could do it all over, he wouldn't change a thing, but he couldn't help but feel frustrated now that the reality of it all was starting to hit.

"I get it," Hizashi said good naturedly. "it was a crazy first week. I'm glad it's over, looking forward to the weekend. Uh, a couple of us are taking the new teacher, Sapphire, out to see the city. She asked if you were coming but I told her you were busy, hope that's ok."

Toshinori looked up, his mood slightly improving. "Sapphire asked about me?"

"Yeah, though I found it odd…she didn't seem to know about you're, uh, condition. You haven't told her? I thought you two were close?"

"Close? No, I suppose we really aren't that close. High school was a long time ago," Toshinori answered nervously. "If Nezu hasn't mentioned it to her then she probably doesn't know. I haven't said anything. I guess I…I guess I was afraid too. I didn't want her to know that I'm not really the same hero everyone thinks I am. I'm not really sure why," the thin man said as he stood and paced the room. "Maybe I don't want her to think any less of me than she already does," he added with a pained chuckle.

"Hmm, well, I kind of blabbed a little bit about it, sorry, but I didn't really tell her much," Hizashi apologized. "On the bright side, I convinced her to talk to you about it," he said, hoping he hadn't made things worse for the already depressed All Might.

"Really?" Toshinori asked, hopeful that he may get to have an actual conversation with Maddie, but nervous about what that conversation would be about.

"Mmhhmm," Hizashi nodded. "Said she'd go get coffee with you next week!"

"That's, um, great. Hey, I don't know, Mic, what do you think, should I tell her about everything that's happened to me?" Toshinori asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, she's gonna find out eventually, right? If it were me, I'd want to be the one who tells her."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Ok, I'll tell her. Thanks, Hizashi," Toshinori said sincerely.

"No problem, have a great weekend, All Might. And, dude, even though you're sort of running out of steam, you're still the number one hero, don't forget that," Hizashi reminded him as he walked out of the teacher's lounge.

Toshinori sighed and looked out the window, thinking about the inevitable conversation he was going to have to have with Maddie next week. She already seemed to think so little of him, now what would she say when she finds out he looked like a skeleton with hair more often than the symbol of peace? Well, at least he'd have all weekend to prepare for her hurtful laugh and the pity that was sure to come. _Well, well, well, look how the mighty have fallen_ , she was sure to say. It would surely be the end of any small amount of friendship they still had, but it had to be done. He couldn't keep hiding from her forever.

* * *

Early Saturday morning, Maddie put on her jogging shoes and headed out to the beach park Principal Nezu had mentioned. It had been some time since she had been active, and she felt like a nice easy jog in the surf and sand with her dog Jack, before too many people showed up to play in the ocean that afternoon. She preferred to get ready for the day and get energized by herself. Being alone gave her peace and helped her organize her thoughts before she had to interact with people again, and what better place to find peace than on a beautiful beach early in the morning, as close to the largest body of water on earth as she could get. She had a water quirk, after all, and nothing felt better than being near a large expanse of it and feeling the power of the waves tingle her senses.

The sun was just starting to rise and the sea air was fresh and cool. She let Jack off leash once they were on the beach, he was a good dog and usually never left her side. She put in her earphones and played her jogging playlist as she stretched out her tight muscles and started an easy lope in the sand with Jack barking and leaping alongside her. Dagobah beach seemed a little dingy but did look like it had been recently cleaned up like Nezu had said. All in all, it was very pleasant and she was glad she had come. She jogged near the water line, enjoying the feel of the cool water contacting her bare feet every time a wave washed in. Pretty soon one of her favorite songs started playing, and she couldn't help but start to play around with the ocean water as she listened to it.

 _I don't need your wings to fly._

She reached for her power and twirled a stream of water up and around in the air like a conductor leading his orchestra, creating beautiful water ribbons that sparkled as the early morning sun shone through them.

 _I don't need a hand holding mine this time._

She lifted a second water ribbon and chased the barking Jack down the beach with it.

 _You held me down, but I broke free, I found the love inside of me_.

She splashed into the surf, feeling the waves spray onto her skin as she danced.

 _Now I don't need a hero to survive._

She crouched and gathered the ocean water to her, power flowing through her hands.

 _Cause I already saved my life._

She sent the water shooting sky high in an enormous wave and laughed out loud as it came crashing down around her as she twirled and spun, tasting the salt and feeling the ocean's fickle embrace. The power of the water, so full of strength yet so calming and gentle at the same time. It could be anything it wanted to be, it flowed and reshaped itself for any situation, yet nothing could stand against its raging tide. She was like the water. She felt at home and at peace here, standing with the waves pooling around her ankles. She closed her eyes and listened and breathed, replenishing her soul…until Jack started barking like a lunatic and ruined the moment.

"Dammit, Jack, what the hell!" she shouted at the little dog. "You ruined my Zen!" Jack didn't stop barking, and instead, started sprinting off into the distance towards the sea wall that overlooked the beach.

"Wait, Jack! Get back here!" Maddie yelled, sprinting after the shiba inu. As she charged after him, she glanced up to see what had caught his attention, and thought she saw what looked like a tall skinny man with a bush of messy golden hair watching her from the railing on the sea wall. It was difficult to clearly make him out from so far away in the early morning light, but when he noticed that she had seen him, he appeared to jump in fear and then took off in a run, disappearing in the early morning mist.

Jack stopped in front of the sea wall and barked up at where the man had been standing. Maddie finally caught up to him and scooped the little dog into her arms, gently quieting him. "Easy, Jack. I can't take you anywhere if you're going to bark at strangers," she soothed. She hadn't recognized the man, but even from a distance she felt there was something familiar about him. And why had he been watching her intently enough to piss Jack off? Hmm, another mystery.

Maddie walked back down the beach with Jack in her arms to find her discarded shoes and head back home. Meanwhile, Toshinori Yagi leaned against the wall of a building not too far away, trying to catch his breath. That had been close! Maddie had seen him for sure, but he didn't think she had recognized him. It was too bad her dog was so watchful, he could have watched her dance in the waves all day. She was mesmerizing, throwing water around and creating shapes as if to the beat of a song. Her quirk was truly beautiful. The sound of her sweet laughter had drawn him to watch her while he was taking a morning walk by the beach to clear his head for the day. It was a moment he'd cherish forever, and he wished he wasn't so weak, or maybe he would have joined her.

* * *

For the rest of the day Maddie didn't do much but shower and worry about her upcoming night of social interaction with her co-workers. She prayed she would actually be fun and have a good time, she really wanted them to like her. It wasn't long until she got a phone message from Present Mic that he was on his way to pick her up and she dashed around, getting ready and trying to tidy up the small apartment. Her doorbell rang and she scooped up the barking Jack before opening it to greet her new friends.

"Good evening, Sapphire! Aww who's this handsome guy?" Present Mic exclaimed upon her opening the door and spying her dog.

"Oh, this is Jack," Maddie answered, she then noticed that Present Mic was not the only one standing on her doorstep. "Oh, hello everyone," she said with some surprise.

Before she could really protest, Present Mic, Midnight, Eraserhead, Cementoss, and Vlad King all helped themselves to her apartment. It was even more apparent how small her place was with six adults standing in the living room.

"This is…cute," Midnight observed.

"A bit of a mess," Eraserhead added.

"Uhh…I didn't realize you were all coming over or I would have cleaned up a bit more," Maddie mumbled as Jack made the rounds and introduced himself to each person in the room, receiving pats on the head in return for hand licks.

"Well, it's still a little early, what do you say we help Sapphire unpack a little, eh guys?" Present Mic suggested.

"Great idea!" Vlad King said and made his way to one of her still taped up boxes.

"Oh, wow, that's not really necessary! You didn't come here to have to work, what kind of a host would I be if I asked you to do that," Maddie panicked, trying to reclose the box Vlad King had opened. _This was so weird!_

"Nonsense!" Present Mic said, "This place could really use some work. What kind of friends would we be if we let you live in boxes like this?" the voice hero started on his own box and soon Cementoss was happily arranging plates in her kitchen cabinets. Eraserhead sighed and plopped down on her couch with Jack happy to join him for a nap curled up in his lap.

"But…but…" Maddie protested popping over to each teacher and unsuccessfully trying to convince them to stop going through her stuff.

Midnight grabbed her wrist before she could take a candle out of Mic's hand and pulled her to the bedroom, "While they unpack let's see if I can't spice your style up a little, we are going out on the town tonight after all!"

"What's wrong with my style!" Maddie protested again but continued to be dragged to her bathroom by an unrelenting Midnight.

Midnight went through her closet and soon had a cute little strapless blue dress picked out and a pair of heeled sandals. She matched some jewelry to the outfit and a black wrap to go over the shoulders. "There, that is so cute. Change out of those ridiculous slacks and then I'll fix your makeup, ok?"

"…ok…" Maddie said meekly and went into the bathroom to change while Midnight went through more of her stuff.

"Girl, you and I need to go shopping!" she called to Maddie, who just sighed and finished putting on the change of clothes. Well, they all know everything about her now. She guessed that made them friends…yay.

"Dude, no way!" she heard Mic exclaim from the living room. Maddie hurriedly put on the rest of the outfit Midnight had chosen for her and rushed out into the living room to see Present Mic holding up her light blue electric guitar.

"I didn't know you played?" he said excitedly. "Where's the amp? Let's hear it!"

"Um, yeah, a little, I'm not very good," Maddie said and took the guitar from him, her cheeks tinted red in embarrassment. "Maybe another time."

"Well we should jam together! I'm a bit musical myself," he winked.

"You look really good," Vlad King pointed out. "I like that dress."

"Doesn't she though?" Midnight said, coming up from behind her. "I just need to add a little more makeup and then she'll be ready. Great idea having us come over early, Hizashi, I think we really helped her out."

"Yes, her apartment looks better already," Cementoss commented.

Maddie noticed they had pretty much emptied all the boxes and flattened them in a corner. Present Mic took the guitar from her and set it up in the corner of the room. "There, the finishing touch," he smiled. "What do you think?"

"It, um, it really looks great you guys. I don't know what to say…thank you," Maddie managed to squeeze out, completely blown away by how much they had willingly done for her. She had been annoyed at first, but she had to admit her place looked nicer without all the boxes stacked up, and she could see the genuine smiles on their faces, proud of their work and happy to have helped. Perhaps they liked her after all.

"Hero work isn't the only thing we're good at, eh?" Present Mic said. "Except for Aizawa apparently," he added, indicating the sleeping man on the couch.

Eraserhead cracked an eyelid, "There is a dog on my lap. Everyone knows you cannot move when an animal chooses you as their bed."

Nobody could argue with his sound logic.

As soon as Midnight had added the finishing touches to Maddie's new look, the group all gathered in the town car that Present Mic had rented for the occasion. The car dropped them off in an area of the city bustling with night life, and Midnight led them through the street to one of her favorite restaurants. Maddie took in the lights and sounds of the city as they walked. Comparing them to the city she used to live in, not that she had went out much. She also noted that, despite the fact they were not wearing their hero costumes, people seemed to know who they were and would smile and wave at the group, shouting out "thank you's" and asking for autographs or pictures. Midnight politely declined most of them but gave in a few times if she found the adoring fan particularly attractive.

They arrived at an establishment that reminded Maddie of a night club and got a table. There was a live band in one corner, playing easy jazz, and the room had a dark and mysterious feel to it. A large circular table was reserved for them in a corner and the group sat down.

"Wow, this is nice, I'm glad I wore a dress," Maddie commented.

"Being a pro has its perks. Besides, we can't just go anywhere unfortunately. Too many fans would recognize us and we'd never get a chance to enjoy each other's company. You need a reservation to be seated here," Midnight explained. Maddie nodded, realizing that these pro heroes had to take extra precautions that she had never needed too being in support all her life. No one had ever recognized her from TV or a magazine.

A waitress soon came by and took their food and drink orders. Maddie let them order her drinks, many of them wanted her to try different things that were popular in Japan. Many different types of sake were ordered, but she was able to have a few of her traditional favorites, such as anything with vodka in it. She was a particular fan of vodka since you could basically put it in anything and not really taste it but still feel the effects. Needless to say, she had a pretty loose tongue after a few drinks and was getting along wonderfully with everyone. Midnight was a total tease, always turning something into a sexual innuendo and playfully touching Maddie several times. The 18+ rated hero wore a low-cut gown which showed off her curves and plenty of skin, and though Maddie had never really considered being intimate with a woman before, her drunken mind actually considered Midnight several times. Eraserhead had a dry sense of humor, and he barely drank, constantly commenting on why he even bothered coming, which Present Mic would argue with him about every time he said it. Mic would get louder and louder about it every time and the group would have to shush him constantly. They didn't want to get thrown out! Cementoss and Vlad King were calm and easy going, constantly making Maddie feel a part of the group and commenting on everything she said. The three eccentric characters along with the two steady supporting ones really brought her out of her reserved shell and soon she was laughing with them and telling them about her life.

"So, Maddie…didn't you promise to divulge certain information to us tonight?" Midnight slyly said after a lull in conversation.

"And just what information was that?" Maddie asked with some confusion and slurring.

"Exactly what is the relationship between you and the mighty symbol of peace?" Midnight asked.

"The symbol…you mean Toshinori, mmm, I don't remember talking about anything like that," she replied, taking a sip from her drink.

"Ah ah, Nemuri said you'd give us some juicy deets. Fess up," Present Mic told her, referring to Midnight.

"it seems like you're on a first name basis with him, wouldn't you say?" Cementoss pressed, his tipsy side bringing out the gossip in him.

"Oh, uh not really, I'm just suddenly not able to control what I say. I'm just saying stuff, you know? But, what do you want to know?" Maddie asked with some apprehension, growing louder the more nervous she got about the questions.

"Did you ever date him?" Midnight asked.

Maddie nearly spit out her drink. "No!" she coughed. "No, I mean I guess he sort of liked me. He was always asking me out on dates, but I always turned him down. I thought he was just into me because he thought he could have any girl he wanted, and I was a foreign exchange student, so maybe he just wanted something more exotic, I don't know," she shrugged.

"So he _did_ have a crush on you in high school," Vlad King surmised.

"Like I said, I'm not sure. Why is this all so fascinating? It's ancient history," Maddie grumbled.

"We don't really know much about All Might's love life. If he has one at all, he keeps it pretty quiet. Just trying to find useful hints," Mic said.

"And it's fun to watch you squirm, my sweet," Midnight added.

"Besides, we think he still likes you," Cementoss stated.

"What?" Maddie asked.

"What do you think about him now? Do you find him attractive?" Midnight said.

Maddie's head was swimming with booze and anxiety producing questions. The entire table was leaning forward, anticipating her answer. Her palms were sweaty. What _did_ she think of All Might now? Sure, he was attractive, she'd be blind not to notice how tall he was or his muscular build or that stern handsome face. She probably should be nicer to him and put forth some effort into finding out if he had changed over the years and how things were going for him, but that didn't mean she had to _like_ like him. They could just be friends. More likely than not that's all she could probably tolerate of him. He probably hadn't really changed that much. Maddie put her face back into her drink and didn't answer their question.

"Well, I heard you were staring at his ass the other day," Midnight commented.

Maddie choked again. "Where did you hear that!? That's ridiculous!" she protested, but the bright red blush on her cheeks gave her cover away.

"Aha!" they all basically taunted in unison.

"So, you do find him attractive," Midnight jeered. "Oh well, too bad for me. I guess I won't be getting into your pants after all."

Maddie's shocked and embarrassed face sent them all into hysterical laughter. "I need another drink," she sighed, getting up from her teasing friends and heading to the bar.

She sat at the bar, head still swimming and the room looking very uneven, and ordered a long island. While waiting for her drink, she felt Eraserhead plop down in the seat next to her. "Sorry about them," he apologized for his inappropriate coworkers. "They don't mean to be cruel, they just really like you."

"Wow, thanks I guess."

"You sure you should be drinking that?" he asked with some concern. "You already look pretty wasted, and I'm sure all that teasing couldn't have helped."

"It's not a problem, I can hold my liquor," she said, taking another large slurp. "Hey, so you haven't really said that much all night, I was wondering about something I heard from Hizashi, you're not the biggest fan of All Might either, right?"

"Either?"

"Well, despite what those schemers over there would have you believe, I can find a man attractive and still be absolutely annoyed by him."

"I see. I suppose I don't think a hero should be bathed in the spotlight. That's not the way I work anyway, so there are many things I don't agree with All Might about. He's also too soft on the students," Eraserhead explained flatly.

"Thank you!" Maddie burst out, sloshing her drink. "I was starting to think I was the only one who felt that way."

"That he's too soft on the students?"

"No! That being a hero isn't a big popularity contest."

"To be fair, All Might is genuinely a good person and has truly earned the title of number one hero. He can't really do anything about the fame, that's going to come no matter what, everyone loves heroes. That's why I try to work after dark and on stealth missions, to stay out of the spotlight as much as I can. I know many of my colleagues, like All Might, don't really have that choice, not that they seem to mind. Being popular is how you make money in this line of work," Eraser argued in his calm even tone.

Maddie looked thoughtful at his words, but then shrugged and exclaimed, "Whelp, I'm too drunk to care anymore, you know? This is a nice song. Want to dance, Shota, right?"

Eraserhead noticed she had finished the drink she had ordered and was head bobbing along to the jazz music. "It's not really a dance song or a dance club," he replied.

"Sure it is! Come on!" she giggled and tried unsuccessfully to pull him over to the live band. He ended up having to grab her securely by the arms and lead her back to their table where the rest of the group was still talking.

"Hey, I think we need to get Ms. Sapphire home. She's intoxicated, and I don't want to make UA look bad by advertising drunk teachers," he told the group, trying desperately to keep Maddie from dancing with him.

"Are you sure she's really that drunk?" Midnight asked. "She looks alright to me."

"Oh god! Is it flooding?" Present Mic exclaimed. Everyone immediately looked at the floor where a thin layer of water was starting to pool across the entire restaurant. The rest of the guests in the room were starting to notice as well.

"Pretty water," Maddie giggled, distracted from her dancing. She was slightly stressed and had thought some water would calm her down, it usually did in most cases.

Oh, shit! It's her water quirk!" Mic exclaimed. "How many drinks did she have!?"

"Hey! Who's flooding the floor? No destructive quirk usage in here, it's the rules," a manager shouted.

"Quick, get her out of here. We'll pay the tab and follow you," Vlad King suggested.

Eraserhead nodded and drug Maddie out of the restaurant and into the street, hoping no one would notice and the flooded floor would remain a mystery. He canceled her quirk with his power so she couldn't produce any more water, but there was nothing he could do about the water already in the restaurant. She remained slightly incoherent but didn't cause any more problems as she sat down on a street curb next to Eraserhead. "I'm sorry, Shota. Hopefully I didn't cause to much of a problem," she slurred, gazing up at him with spinning blue eyes.

"It's alright. I wanted to leave anyway. I thought you said you could hold your liquor."

"I thought I did too," she laughed.

He couldn't help but smirk at that. She was alright, if a little strange at times. "Well, I had better make sure we can all get home. I don't really want to call a driver or a cab, I'd rather keep the number of people who encounter a drunk UA teacher to a minimum." He considered his options for a minute, wondering if All Might would be available. He most certainly wouldn't be drunk since he had lost parts of his internal organs after the fight that had crippled him. Eraserhead pulled out his phone and made the call.

He heard the number one hero answer the phone, slightly surprised due to how late at night it was, "Aizawa? Is something wrong?" came the tired yet concerned voice.

"Sapphire is completely wasted and I don't want to put her in a cab, do you have enough energy left to come pick her up? She's already flooded a restaurant," he asked rather matter-of-factly.

"…ok I'll be right there…"

Aizawa hung up the phone just as the rest of the group exited the restaurant. "Did you get it all taken care of?" he asked.

"Yep, no problem. They didn't suspect us, teachers still have a good reputation, though after tonight, who knows?" Mic answered.

"Don't worry, I called All Might, he's coming to get her."

"Wonderful, big guy still had it in him hmm?"

"Apparently."

"Well, let's not say anything to Nezu, it's mostly our fault, I think we drove her to drink just one too many," Midnight observed. "She's a super cute drunk though."

"Yeah, flooding the floor of the restaurant was kind of awesome," Vlad King pointed out.

"Hopefully she won't remember any of it tomorrow," said Cementoss. "I'm sure she'd feel horrible about it."

"Oh, hi guys! I just want you to know, that I had so much fun hanging out with you all. We should do this again! Thank you sooooo much!" Maddie pretty much sang when she finally noticed that they had been standing there. "Anyone want to dance in the rain?"

"No, no, maybe next time, Maddie," Mic said, patting her head.

"We can dance naked," Midnight assured her.

"What is wrong with you?" Mic asked her incredulously.

"I love it, Midnight! You are gorgeous," Maddie winked with a sly drunken smile.

"Dear, god," Aizawa sighed. "Why did I agree to this?"

Luckily for him, All Might chose that moment to arrive, landing in the street with a giant thud right beside them and waved a friendly hello to his colleagues. He wasn't wearing his hero costume, but that didn't stop him from receiving glances and excited looks from the passersby. "Nothing to see here," he reported out loud for the public, "Just taking a sick citizen to the hospital. Routine hero work, nothing fancy."

Maddie's head snapped up at his voice and through her fuzzy and distorted memory she recalled there had been a lot of talk about him at dinner that night. Something about him being attractive? She focused on his strong shadowed face as the rest of the group was explaining the situation to him. She couldn't focus on the words they were saying, and her sensible mind was clouded with alcohol, so her more fickle and emotional heart had to take over for her, and it was currently focused on flirting with the large attractive man that supposedly still had a crush on her. If certain company was to be believed.

"Muscles!" she yelled happily, struggling with some difficulty to her wobbling legs and basically falling into his arms when she realized she could no longer stand.

Toshinori caught her in confusion. She usually wasn't this happy to see him. She really must be drunk. "Woah there, Bubbles, are you alright?" he asked.

She cracked a grin and, before he could react in any way at all, grabbed his butt saying, "You've got a plus ultra ass!"

Toshinori's face turned bright red. "Um, thank you," he managed to get out as Midnight died in a fit of laughter. Eraserhead, Vlad King, and Cementoss were basically speechless, and Present Mic was trying desperately to keep it together.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for your entertainment tonight, support hero Sapphire!" the voice hero finally busted out laughing.

"All right, all right," Aizawa barked, trying to shut Midnight and Present Mic up while Toshinori awkwardly pushed Maddie away from him as gently as he could. "Just get her home already, All Might. She's made enough of a spectacle."

"What? I thought that's what we were talking about, his great butt!" Maddie insisted again. "Looks fantastic in those tights he wears. It just won't stop!" she wiggled hers around as if to prove her point.

"Ok, Aizawa's right, let's get you home," Toshinori hurriedly said and, with a quick wave, he scooped Maddie into his arms bridal style and used the remaining bits of power he had left from One For All to shoot straight into the sky.

"Bye Maddie! We love you!" Midnight shouted after them as the rest of the group continued to laugh.

 **A/N: Well that was a fun silly chapter! Thank you for the reviews, I really liked them. Song used in this chapter was "Hero" by Cash Cash feat. Christina Perri.**


	4. A Secret Revealed

Chapter 4: A Secret Revealed

Maddie slowly blinked her eyes open, and the first thing she became aware of was the horrific pain throbbing in her head. She sat up with a groan and pulled water into her body cells with her quirk, trying to rehydrate and ease the pain. She hadn't had a hangover in a long time. Once the pain was a little more under control, the second thing she noticed was that she was lying in her bed, still fully dressed, with a blanket over her and her shoes removed. The blinds to her room were all drawn down so that the bright sun shining outside had not blinded her when she woke up. She looked around, confused. _How had she ended up like this? What day was it?_ Her stomach took a slight panicked dip and she scrambled around for her phone which she soon found on her bedside table. She sighed in relief when she saw that, though late in the afternoon, it was only Sunday. She then busied herself with trying to remember what had happened last night.

She had gone out with Present Mic, Midnight, Cementoss, Eraserhead, and Vlad King. They had unpacked her boxes, the evidence for that was still apparent, and then they had gone to eat and have drinks. She remembered having an embarrassing conversation with them all and then sitting at the bar with Eraserhead, but that's when her memories of that night ended and she had woken up in bed the next day. She tried racking her brain, thinking she recalled something about water and…Toshinori. Images of him kept popping up in her fuzzy memories, and she clenched her stomach, wondering why.

Jack interrupted her by jumping up on the bed and giving her an impatient bark. "All right, I'm getting up," she sighed. After taking Jack out, she started a pot of coffee, popped some pain meds, and took a quick shower. Not long after that, her phone rang, and she picked it up to hear Midnight on the other side.

"Hey there, hot stuff. Just calling to make sure you were home and ok," the seductive Midnight said.

"Oh, hi, Nemuri. I am doing much better now, thanks for checking up on me. Um, I don't remember much of last night after talking with Shota at the bar. Think you could fill me in? Did I do anything…embarrassing," Maddie asked with some fear.

"Yes, you did," Midnight said with amusement.

Maddie rubbed a hand over her face and groaned. "Ugh, was it bad, tell me it wasn't that bad."

"Oh, it was pretty bad! Wonderfully bad in fact! I think I should tell you about it tomorrow, I can't wait to see your face when you hear about it," she teased.

"No, Nemuri, just tell me now!" Maddie begged.

"Nope, sorry kid, you're just going to have to wait."

"Well, thanks for getting me home last night and getting me in bed and everything," Maddie said, accepting the fact that she wasn't going to get anything else out of Midnight for the time being.

Midnight stifled a laugh on the phone.

"What was that for!" Maddie snapped. "I heard that laugh, what's going on. Can't you just tell me something?"

"Alright, I guess I can tell you this one thing. We didn't take you home last night. Aizawa didn't want to put you in a cab so…he called All Might to pick you up."

"What!"

"Yeah," Midnight snorted in laughter. "He took you home last night. That's when most of the hilarity ensued. But I should let you go now, get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Fine," Maddie sighed and hung up the phone. That had not been what she had wanted or expected to hear. No wonder she kept having back flashes and glimpses of Toshinori in her mind. She dreaded hearing about it tomorrow, which pretty much ruined the rest of her day. She decided she would not leave the apartment. Possibly ever again.

* * *

The next day at work she had to dodge a large number of reporters huddled outside the school gates as she made her way in. They kept asking her about working with All Might, an already sore topic for her, so she brushed pass them into the school. Next, she tried her best to avoid any of the teachers she had gone out with on Saturday, which proved to be difficult. Even avoiding the teacher's lounge hadn't worked, because Midnight soon found her between classes at her desk.

"So, ready to hear about Saturday night?"

"To be honest, no. I'd rather just forget it all happened."

"Oh, come on, sweetie, it really isn't all that bad."

"You said it was on the phone yesterday," Maddie sighed, putting down a stack of worksheets.

"Well maybe I was exaggerating to tease you a little. All you did was try to dance with Aizawa, flood the restaurant floor, threaten to make it rain and dance naked with me, and…oh yes, grab All Might's ass and told him how nice it looks," Midnight said, counting off each instance on her fingers as she sat on the corner on Maddie's desk.

Maddie's face turned various colors as she listened to Midnight's list. "I did what? Are you, um, are you serious?" she asked trying to keep her voice even and holding back an immense amount of conflicting emotions.

"Dead serious. This is just the short version of it all too. I could elaborate if you'd like."

"That won't be necessary. I flooded a _restaurant_? Did I cause any serious damage? Did we get in trouble?" Maddie suddenly asked, getting slightly angry at her new so-called friends. How could they let her do that?

"No, it was fine. They couldn't figure out who did it and Aizawa cancelled your quirk before it really became an issue."

"Yeah but, I feel like we should have told them, you know, be responsible adults."

"All they had to do was mop it up!" Midnight stressed. "It's no big deal, besides we were all slightly impaired. No one's moral compass was activated when we were having too much fun watching you. You were a blast! I'd go out drinking with you again anytime."

"No, nope, never again!" Maddie exclaimed. "I can't believe I would act like that! So irresponsible!"

"Relax, nothing horrible happened, alright. It was just funny. No one is going to say anything either. It's our secret."

"And how am I supposed to face All Might now?" Maddie continued ranting, standing now and pacing the floor. "I told Hizashi I would have coffee with him or something, that I'd finally talk with him one on one, and now you tell me I went and—" she stopped her loud rant mid-sentence and looked around to make sure no one else was listening before whispering out harshly, "—grabbed his butt?"

"I really don't know why you're worried. He knows you were drunk. Yeah, he seemed embarrassed but he wasn't mad. Besides, who wouldn't want you to grab their butt? You may not know this but, despite being a bit stuck up and a major worrier, you are very kind, fun, and gorgeous if I may add," Midnight replied. "I'm still looking forward to our naked rain dance."

"That is not happening," Maddie said with a stern finger point, squinting her eyes at Midnight.

"A girl can dream," Midnight replied with a shrug.

Maddie sighed and sat back down. "Well, you are right, what's done is done and I can't take it back, I can only apologize. I'm sorry I let myself get so drunk and made a fool out of myself. I hope Toshinori can accept my apology as well."

"From my point of view, there is no apology necessary. You made the night ten times better. Everyone agrees, and we all appreciate the chance to get to know you better. So, thanks for going out with us…and sorry for teasing you so much. It was just too much fun not too!" Midnight reassured her. "Alright, I'm out of here. Tell All Might to "shake what his mother gave him" next time you see him for me."

Maddie facepalmed as Midnight shook her ass on the way out of the room. _What have I done to deserve this?_ She was not ready to face anyone else that day after her little chat with Midnight, so she stayed in her classroom the rest of the day and ate lunch in there as well, content to simply teach her classes and then go home. Of course, this was UA High, and nothing could be that simple.

An alarm bell rang loudly through the halls and the sounds of panicking students soon assaulted her ears. She sprang up, it was a security breach alarm. Had someone infiltrated the school? She wondered if it had something to do with the reporters outside the gates. She got up to go to the front of the school and check it out, but the halls were packed with students trying to get to safety, all worried that villains were attacking the school. She instead made her way to the nurse's office to find Recovery girl. The nurse's office had a good vantage point for viewing the front gate as well.

"Recovery Girl," she said as she walked in. "What's going on out there? The students are going nuts."

"I've gotten word from Mr. Aizawa, it seems that the reporters made it past the gate somehow. They've called the police, but that's about all we can do at the moment," the nurse replied.

Maddie looked down to the ground out of the window, watching Present Mic and Eraserhead try to hold the press back from the school. "Want me to go flush them out?" she asked.

"A good idea," Recovery Girl chuckled, "But I'm afraid using your quirk against them would just make matters worse. It's better to wait for the authorities."

"Is this All Might's fault again? Maybe you guys shouldn't have hired him."

"We knew there would be consequences to hiring the number one hero to teach at UA. Everyone would want to meet him. But I think the benefits outweigh the problems. It's wonderful for the students to have someone with so much experience to train them and help them learn what to expect in the real world. Besides, there's something odd about this situation. They keep clamoring for All Might after they have been told he's not here today. It's like someone specifically told them that he _was_ here so that they would cause a ruckus," Recovery Girl mused.

"Hmmm, that is odd," Maddie agreed.

The police soon arrived and cleared out the reporters, and the students were rounded up and sent back to class. Maddie sighed with relief when the school returned to its normal volume level of noise, also relieved that everyone had been so distracted by the alarm fiasco today, that she could finish up her work in peace and then sneak quietly out of the building. All Might wasn't even here, so she wouldn't have to confront him about Saturday night quite yet either. The bell rang to signal the end of the day and she gathered up her things, happily power walking out of the building…when she saw no other than All Might talking to Principal Nezu outside a classroom. _What the Hell was he doing here!?_ Unfortunately, her squeaked sound of surprise at the sight of him caused him to look in her direction.

"Ms. Sapphire!" he yelled, not caring how everyone else in the hallway immediately looked his way as soon as he called out. "I really need to speak with you!"

 _Oh shit!_ "Um, now? I'm late for…uh…a thing," she weakly responded, blushing hard. There were too many people in the hall, so she ducked out the front doors and into the courtyard as quickly as she could.

"Yes, now," he said in a voice slightly more threatening than normal as he followed her at an inhuman speed outside.

Maddie squirmed and writhed on the inside, but had to stop and turn towards him, he was already grabbing hold of her hand and turning her to face him. She couldn't look up at his stern face. He sounded angry. _Why, why, why, why?_ she cringed inside. "Alright," she said quietly, still staring hard at her feet.

"Look, I'm sure you've been told what happened Saturday night if you didn't remember, and I just wanted you to know, I'm not upset about it or anything. I understand…and I'm just glad I could help you get home safe," he said softly.

The soft, genuine tone of his voice made her look up in surprise and her blue eyes met his. The blush on her face was permanent by now, but she couldn't stop from looking at him. His eyes were kind and she thought she could see his own cheeks reddening slightly when she finally raised her head.

"I thought…I'm sorry, I didn't know how I was ever going to be able to talk to you again after the other night," she continued in a low shaky voice. "But, you deserve more than that, and again, I'm very sorry. I should have talked to you so much sooner than now." She didn't know what was happening, but it seemed like the giant muscled man standing in front of her was melting her walls away with his kind smile. She was still completely ashamed of herself, but it felt a little easier to talk to him now.

"Like I said, it's fine," he answered, letting go of her hand and giving her a thumbs up. "I just wanted you to know that."

She smiled a little and nervously chuckled, "I must have been some sight, huh?"

"Indeed, you were, but I have never seen the particular group of people you were with have broader smiles or laugh so much!" he said reverting back to his louder and more assertive personality. "And I should also thank you for your compliments. It's nice to know I've still "got it" after all these years!"

"Well don't flatter yourself too much, I was completely out of my mind," she grumbled.

"Of course!" he laughed. "Oh, I was wondering, what's the name of your little dog? I think I frightened him when I brought you home, he was not happy at all. So, I thought maybe I could bring him something next time to make up for it."

"His name is Jack…and what makes you think there will be a next time, hmm?"

"I've just got a good feeling about it," he smiled.

"Oh, shut up!" she joked. "I'm not really a drunk. It was all Nemuri and Hizashi, and trust me, after the mess I caused I am not looking forward to that ever happening again."

Toshinori chuckled, but suddenly felt his power fading and he brought a hand up to his mouth to try and stifle a small cough. He didn't want to leave, now that they finally seemed to be on speaking terms, but unfortunately, he had already reached his limit for the day and couldn't stay much longer. He saw Maddie's questioning face at his cough and realized he really should tell her about his problem. He couldn't hide it from her forever.

"I should really get going, I have a meeting with someone, but Mic mentioned you said you'd finally like to talk with me, so, uh, coffee? Tomorrow?" Toshinori asked in a bit of a hurry, straining to keep his form for just a little longer.

"Oh, he mentioned that did he, eh? I swear that man can't keep anything to himself. Alright, fine. If anything, just to get you off my back about it. Coffee tomorrow after school. Where should I meet you?" Maddie gave in, making sure to make it seem like she was still reluctant about it. She couldn't let him know she had actually sort of enjoyed their conversation. She still wasn't so sure about him, and the old animosity for him still held a place in her heart, no matter how charming he had become.

"There's a good café around the corner from the school. I'll see you there!" he said excitedly, ecstatic that she had finally agreed.

"Wow, you make it sound like the best thing in the world has just happened. It's only coffee," she pointed out.

"I've waited a long time to hear you agree to go out with me, you can't blame me for being excited!" he said starting to slowly back away, he was close to popping out of form and he could feel the steam starting to rise.

"It's not a date," she stressed with a stern look.

"A hero never gives up!" he laughed before dashing away like lightning, leaving a very flabbergasted Maddie sputtering by the school gates.

She shook her head, wondering slightly why he had been acting so strangely there towards the end. Maybe he was really running late for that meeting. Well, some things never change, and maybe tomorrow would reveal just how much really had. She really couldn't believe she had finally given in to Toshinori Yagi after so many years of being stubborn about it.

* * *

The next day she was full of apprehensive anxiety about meeting Toshinori after school. She didn't know why she felt this way, it was just coffee and a talk with an old friend. Maybe she was nervous about the inevitable question, why had she not become a pro hero? She was sure he wanted to know. Should she tell him it was because of him? That he and what his fellow heroes promoted was what had turned her off? She didn't know, but she would have to say something.

Today the hero classes were taking a field trip to train at the schools USJ facility. All Might would be teaching there as well, so she wouldn't see him at school today. Maybe she could gather her thoughts in peace before they met, so when she entered the teacher's lounge to take a break, she was surprised to see him there. He did not look very well at all. He seemed a little more hunched over than usual and it looked like steam was coming off of his body. He had his hand to his mouth like he did yesterday when he had coughed, and she thought she noticed a small amount of blood in the corner of his lips.

"All Might, are you alright? Shouldn't you be at the USJ?" she asked with concern.

"Oh, thank goodness I found you!" he exclaimed. "You're probably the fastest one here. Do me a favor and get to the USJ as fast as you can. Aizawa and Thirteen are not answering my texts or calls. Nezu told me not to worry, but I can't help but feel something might be wrong."

"Something's wrong? But why can't you go over there yourself?" she said in confusion.

"I–I just can't right now, I need some more time. I pushed too hard this morning and I realize that was a mistake. Please, just go, let me know if everything is all right," he pushed urgently.

"But I'm not a hero, what if something is wrong, what would I do? I'm not trained for this type of situation!" Maddie panicked. The way he was talking made it sound like he suspected something was very wrong.

Toshinori grabbed Maddie by the shoulders violently and she could clearly see the blood seeping from his mouth as he leaned toward her. "I've seen your interview video, Sapphire. You are capable of so much more than you give yourself credit for! You are exactly what they need! They need your support! Now, please, go. I'm right behind you."

Maddie nodded fearfully and turned, running out of the room and towards the USJ. She had never seen All Might that worked up before, or that weak. What was going on? He was right about one thing though, she was very fast when she needed to be. Once outside the school she turned her quirk up full blast and drew the water from the city towards her, making a slick surface beneath her feet. She then thrust her hands behind her back and propelled herself forward with water jets as she surfed the layer of water in the streets beneath her feet. She flew through the streets, faster than any car could have taken her as the water formed under her feet and pushed her forward.

She was moving so fast that she nearly slammed into an object moving even faster towards her and was only able to stop herself with a forceful blast of water, pushing her backwards. She looked around and her heart dropped when she saw young Tenya Iida approaching her at lightning speed with a horrified look on his face. Something was very wrong at the USJ.

"Ms. Sapphire!" he yelled. "Quick! Get to the USJ! Villains are attacking!"

"Go, go!" she yelled back at him. "Get more help! All Might said he'd be right behind me!" she yelled back at him and continued her mad rush to the USJ while Iida blasted off with his engine legs back towards the school.

Damn it! It was worse than she could have dreamed! Villains attacking the students! What was going on? How could they? They were just kids! She rushed forward, her head was swirling with thoughts, but she didn't stop moving. She was terrified, she wasn't a hero, she didn't fight villains and she didn't save lives, she stood on the sidelines and helped heal people if they were hurt. She followed orders and did as the heroes asked. Any fancy moves and combat experience she had was all for show…for fun…she had never used it against anyone in all her years working. Was she really going to be of any help in this situation? _Damn it, All Might!_ What was wrong with him? Why wasn't he there at the USJ?! Why was this situation happening!

But she couldn't stop going, no matter how scared she was or how useless she would be. She pushed through her fears and moved faster. Those were her students in trouble and she had to be there for them no matter what the cost.

She reached the large dome building in record time. Nothing looked out of the ordinary from the outside, and when she didn't see any immediate way in, she pushed a violent tirade of water forward and busted through the building's walls. Maddie ran into the building through the hole she had created. She couldn't see very much through the debris and dust, so she immediately focused her quirk on any water that was around her, listening and feeling for disturbances. There was a large body of water off to one side in the USJ, and she could feel signs of struggling near the water's edge, she began making her way towards the water, but stopped, frozen in horror at the sight she finally saw once her vision had cleared.

There was a cluster of students near the entrance to the USJ, a few were kneeled over the prone form of hero Thirteen where he lay motionless on the ground. Towards the center of the giant arena, where the edge of the large body of water met the land, were three villains. The one that was most noticeable was enormous, he had a big muscled dark body and on his head was an exposed brain and a large bird-like beak. To her further horror, she noticed the bird villain had what looked like Eraserhead smashed under his feet. Red blood pooled all around the eraser hero and she could not tell if he was alive or dead. Another of the villains was basically a cloud of purple smoke with glowing eyes. The smoke villain stood next to the third villain, who was the one that made her most uncomfortable. He was smaller in size and had a thin frame, but he looked like he was covered in severed hands from his torso to his head. He even had a large severed hand attached to his face so she could not see his features.

There were many other villains scattered around the floor surrounding the three in the center, but they all appeared to be knocked down. Despite the fact that there were about a hundred villains in the building, the most terrifying part of the whole scene was the three young students right down in the middle of the fray, currently about to be attacked. One of them was Midoriya.

"No!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. As she did so, the villain covered in hands took notice of her.

"Take care of her!" he yelled.

Maddie dashed down to the center of the room, focused on saving Midoriya, Mineta, and Asui, but the villains on the ground who she had thought were knocked out were getting back up on their feet. One of them ran at her, arms outstretched, forcing her to slow her dash so she could combat him. She was still too far away from the three kids and the villains towards the center of the building, but even while dodging and hitting her current assailants with water jets, she could hear them screaming and she watched, powerless to do anything as the big brain villain grabbed Midoriya and the villain covered in hands reached out to attack Asui and Mineta.

Time seemed to slow as the few horrible seconds ticked by, and then the front doors of the building burst apart in a cloud of dust, freezing everyone in their tracks and drawing their attention. Loud thudding steps could be heard and a glimpse of mustard and golden yellow peaked through the cloud of dust.

"Have no fear, students. I am here!" All Might announced in his deep threatening voice. He whipped off his yellow jacket, taking a quick glance to assess the situation, and then rushed forward in the blink of an eye to save his students.

"Yes! All Might!" Maddie squealed like a school girl at the sight of him, but had to quickly focus on the attacker in front of her. Now that he was here everything would be ok, right? He would kick those villain's butts and save the students with no problem. She wouldn't have to fight! They would all be ok!

Her thoughts and the presence of the number one hero filled her with the strength and confidence she had been lacking. She thrust hard and shot the first villain in her way straight up into the air with a jet of water, watching him fall down hard on the pavement. She would leave the villains to All Might and focus on gathering the students and getting them to safety.

She couldn't even see him move as All Might shot by her, taking the villains out around her in one smooth motion. He was back by the gates in a flash, cradling the limp body of Eraserhead in his arms. He then noticed Midoriya, Asui, and Mineta still in the clutches of the villains, and he swooped back in once again, untraceable by the human eye, and had all three of them under his opposite arm in safety. _He was so fast!_ She could hardly believe it.

"What the heck," she heard Mineta say in shock.

"Everybody back to the entrance, and take Aizawa with you. He doesn't have much time left," All Might commanded them.

"Yes, sir," Mineta croaked.

"Ribbit," Asui responded.

Midoriya looked up to his hero with amazed eyes, "You saved us, All Might."

Maddie watched, still some distance away, as the villains seemed to consider their new foe. They didn't really seem afraid, in fact, they seemed pleased, like they had been waiting for him. The big brain villain faced All Might and the villain covered in hands seemed rather pleased with himself. Was this what the attack was all about? Getting to All Might? If he was the reason these students were in danger she was going to give him a piece of her mind…but it wasn't really his fault. He would never have wanted this to happen. Why did her mind always jump to thinking the worst of him? There he was standing between everyone and the villains without a thought to himself, and she was back here blaming him for the whole thing. She gritted her teeth. _She needed to get over this!_

"All Might, you can't, that brain villain took One for—I smashed him and didn't break my arm this time, but he wasn't fazed at all. He's too strong," Midoriya warned with obvious concern.

"Young Midoriya," All Might said with projected confidence. He smiled brightly and gave Midoriya a peace sign symbol over his forehead. "I've got this!"

Midoriya took Aizawa and the students turned away with some reluctance. Maddie ran towards them, but no sooner had she made a move, All Might rushed the villains yelling out,

"Carolina Smash!"

The brain villain jumped in front and met All Might head on, trading punches with the symbol of peace several times, blocking and absorbing his blows. Maddie watched as All Might seemed to realize he could not hurt the villain this way and side stepped, grabbing the villain from behind and trying to drive him into the ground over his own head. Before the villain could be smashed into the cement, the smoke villain opened a purple warp gate in the floor and the brain villain came up from the other side, grabbing hold of All Might in the process and digging his fingers into the hero's side. All Might grunted in pain and blood began seeping through his white shirt. The villains laughed as they tried to pull him through the warp gate and All Might let go of the brain villain to try and free himself from it's grasp.

Maddie had reached the three students by then and tried to help them carry Eraserhead. "Are you guys, ok?!" she fearfully asked. Asui and Mineta nodded, but Midoriya didn't answer, he had a strange look on his face. She should have seen it in his eyes and tried to stop him, but in her haste to help with Eraserhead, Midoriya abruptly turned away and started to frantically run back towards All Might.

"Midoriya! No!" Maddie screamed, but it was too late. They young hero launched himself towards All Might, intent on helping his hero. Maddie could hardly blink as the warp villain jumped in front of him and Midoriya went careening forward into the purple mist.

At the last possible second, a bright spark of light erupted between Midoriya and the warp villain as Bakugo hit the villain with his quirk and slammed him into the ground. "Get the hell out of my way, Deku!" Bakugo shouted, pushing Midoriya to the side.

Maddie had been so focused on Midoriya and All Might that she hadn't seen the three new students rush into the action. Todoroki stepped in and froze the brain villain in place, stopping his ice right before it reached All Might. "One of your poorly trained villains told me you're here because you think you can kill All Might," the icy student said flatly.

All Might finally broke free of the villain's now weakened grip and sprung back, standing next to Todoroki and gritting his teeth against the pain in his left side. Kirishima dived in out of nowhere as well, taking a swipe with his hardened hands at the hand villain, who easily ducked out of the way. "Damn, that was gonna be cool!" he complained at his miss.

"Guess I found your body that time, you smoky bastard!" Bakugo yelled at the warp villain he now had pinned to the ground.

"The symbol of peace will not be defeated by delinquents like you," Todoroki finished with malice.

The villains and the heroes faced off with each other, each weighing the circumstances and planning their next moves. Maddie was freaking out again. Even more students were involved now. _Children for god's sake!_ This was unacceptable, All Might needed to get them out of there. It would have been one thing for them to be adults facing the villains with him, but they didn't even have their hero licenses yet. True, they had saved the number one heroes' butt, but now she had a horrible feeling that they were just going to get hurt. She was closer to the gate with the broken Aizawa, Asui, and Mineta than she was to All Might and the fight. What was she going to do? Could she do anything at all? Where were the other teachers?

Before she could decide or anyone could move, the brain villain started sinking through the warp gate and came out of it onto the cement, facing the heroes. His frozen arm and parts of his frozen body fell off, but to everyone's astonishment, he began regenerating his body parts. _So he had more than one quirk?_ This wasn't an ordinary villain!

"Stay back everybody!" All Might commanded.

Even as he said it, the hand villain ordered the brain villain forward, and in a motion so fast that All Might could barely follow it, the villain rushed toward Bakugo to free the warp villain. It was hard to see what happened through the resulting smash and dust that followed, but everyone was sure Bakugo had been hit, until they saw him sitting calmly next to Midoriya with a stunned look on his face. That meant… everyone's head snapped to look at the figure, standing in a cloud of debris in front of a cracked wall. All Might had taken the hit for Bakugo, pushing him out of the way, and now stood, arms up defensively, panting and recovering from the hit. The brain villain faced him, warp villain now in his possession.

The students, getting over their shock, moved to help All Might in the fight, but he held them back again, and despite their protests, he gave them a thumbs up and a broad smile. The hand villain made a move for the kids, but All Might charged at that exact moment, realizing he had to make a reckless move to save the students. The brain villain charged to meet him, and when the two collided again, the force of it blew everyone back. Maddie finally let go of Aizawa, trusting him to the students, and tried to move forward to reach the kids still up in the front with All Might.

All Might and the villain pounded each other, their fists moving so fast they could hardly be seen. Incredibly, All Might started to push the villain back, moving forward with slow steady force and precision. He landed a massive punch and blew the villain away, throwing him backwards through the air and leaping after him. The villain appeared to have absorbed all he could take of All Might's mighty blows. All Might grappled the villain in midair, throwing him around and wrestling to best him. He finally threw him down with an incredible move, and the villain smashed into the cement with such force it could barely get back up.

All Might landed with an earth shattering thud in front of the villain. His smile seemed to shine even brighter as he reached inside himself for even more of his power, working at more than one hundred percent! "Go beyond, Plus Ultra!" he yelled with all his strength and with one insanely powerful massive punch, he sent to villain flying sky high, straight up and out of the stadium, disappearing into the blue sky above with nothing but a twinkle of light.

Maddie stood behind the students, jaw dropped in awe at the mighty hero that now faced the remaining villains. His clothes were tattered and he was covered in scrapes. The hair on top of his head that usually stood straight up in the air was slightly twisted and bent. She could tell he had weakened, he shook slightly and looked like he may fall over at any minute, but despite all that, All Might raised a clenched fist to his chest, stood tall, and smiled. "You've been bested, villains," came his deep strong voice through the smoke and debris. "Surrender. We all want to get this over with quickly." His body started steaming, small trails of smoke raising up off of him and into the air.

The villains stared in shock, and Maddie couldn't blame them. She had reached the kids, but the power and strength she had just witnessed held her in place and she felt unable to move. She had known he was powerful, he was the number one hero after all, he had to be, but seeing it first hand with her own eyes sent a feeling shooting through her she had never experienced before. Her eyes were locked onto his noble muscled form and she couldn't help but feel pride and admiration rushing through her body. He made her feel like she could do anything, like there was nothing that could stop her, as long as he was around. This strong feeling of love and admiration for her hero, for everyone's hero, welled up inside her, threatening to burst forth in joyful tears. All she could think about was how she could have ever hated him. He had grown so much since high school. He was selfless and kind, putting himself before anyone in need, no matter how much it hurt him. She realized he would do anything for these students, or anybody in trouble for that matter, even let himself be killed. That selfless love, for someone that he might not even know, is what really mattered. It's what made him a true hero.

She felt the many years of hate and resentment for him slowly melting away…and it felt oddly freeing, like a sweet surrender.

"What, are you scared?" All Might demanded of the frozen villains. His voice shot through the stillness, snapping Maddie back to reality.

The villain covered in severed hands started to fidget as if unsure of what to do. He twisted and squirmed, scratching and clawing at his neck in indecision. Maddie crossed her fingers, hoping he would surrender or at least retreat. She wasn't sure exactly what Present Mic had meant about All Might running low on energy, but from the looks of him, she wasn't sure if the number one hero could take another fight. She could see him straining to keep his threatening posture, and the steam rising up off his body in even more abundance now gave her concern. There was a groan and Maddie turned her head to see the villains that had been knocked out earlier starting to get up on their feet. The four students standing near her turned to face them, ready to keep them away from All Might, but she couldn't look away from the hand villain and the warp villain. What would they do?

The hand villain made up his mind and charged All Might alongside the warp villain. She saw the tall man clench his fist in frustration but prepare to take the villains on. She could tell this was not what he had hoped for, but he was going to stand his ground no matter the cost. _Shit!_ she cringed. She would probably have to fight again after all, but before she could make a move, Midoriya launched himself with incredible speed straight past her and towards the warp villain. The young boy cocked his fist back as if to smash the villain hard, preventing him from reaching All Might. Why did he keep jumping in front of All Might and the villains? It was like he thought All Might couldn't handle himself, or maybe he just had a strong instinct to save anyone in danger?

Whatever the case, Maddie saw him once again soaring into the warp gate villain, but this time, the hand covered villain thrust one of his own hands through the purple gate, right into Midoriya's face. The boy was sure to be touched by the villain, a fate that would lead him to certain death, and no one could seem to stop it from happening.

A gun shot rang out and the villain's ominous hand was jerked away by a bullet hitting right on target. Midoriya fell to the ground, untouched by the villains, and many more gunshots rang out as they hit various other targets in the USJ.

"They're here!" All Might exclaimed.

Maddie looked to see the entire group of UA's teachers entering the USJ. Iida stood alongside them, proudly smiling, and his classmates went wild with relief. Snipe had fired the first gun shots that had saved Midoriya, but there was more to come. The group of villains, who had slowly awakened after being knocked out, prepared to battle the UA teachers, snarling and readying their quirks, but the lowly thugs were no match for the highly trained pros. Present Mic approached calmly and blasted them with his voice so loud that they crumpled back. The rest of the teachers sprang into action, rescuing students in the different zones of the USJ and capturing villains. Midoriya lay on the ground where he had fallen, and All Might stood in the exact same spot, still unmoving, with a face flooded with relief and massive amounts of steam and vapor pouring from his body.

Maddie was super pumped and finally dived in to help rescue the students. She enveloped a few villains in a column of water and shook them around, knocking then out against each other. She noticed the main two villains, the warp gate villain and the hand villain, preparing to make an escape. Snipe shot them a few times, and the hand villain collapsed, but the warp gate villain was still enveloping him, ready to transport away. Rescue hero Thirteen, who had been knocked down trying to protect the students, stood up and tried his best to use his black hole quirk and suck the villains towards him. Maddie helped, pushing waves of water from behind the villains, hoping to draw them nearer, but with one last evil word to All Might, the villains disappeared in a purple mist.

Maddie cursed to herself, upset they had lost the ringleaders and most dangerous villains of the group. The other villains were easily dealt with. They appeared to be low level thugs with no experience at all. Just pawns to be used to get to All Might. Even she, a support hero, had taken them out swiftly. She quickly returned her attention to her students and saw that Kirishima was running towards Midoriya, hoping to help his friend. All Might continued to stand still, completely covered in dense smoke so she could not easily see him, but…did his frame seem…smaller in stature? _Oh shit. Midoriya was hurt!_

She ran forward, following Kirishima, to help the injured Midoriya, mentally slapping herself for not going to him sooner. He hadn't moved, so she assumed he could no longer walk on his own. She was support, a healer, this was her moment to really do some good. Before either she or Kirishima reached him, however, Cementoss appeared and put up a wall of cement between them and the injured heroes.

"it's very dangerous, here, I know you are concerned about your friend, but please go join your classmates at the gate," the cement hero explained to Kirishima.

Kirishima agreed and ran back to the gate while Cementoss indicated that Maddie should go ahead and come forward. "I think you could do some good here," he said quietly.

Maddie used her quirk to push herself over the cement wall with a burst of water and came down on the other side in front of Midoriya. "Hey kid," she said quietly, "You look pretty beat up." She knelt beside him and tried assessing his injuries. Both his legs were broken, as well as another few fingers on one of his hands. She tried pulling water into the cells near the wounds, and while it gave Midoriya some relief, her power was not strong enough to heal broken bones. Midoriya looked at her with grateful eyes, but his real attention was focused on All Might, and he seemed rather worried.

"Thanks for that. You saved my butt, Cementoss," Maddie heard All Might say…at least she though it was All Might. The voice sounded much more tired and depressed than she had ever heard from him before.

She turned her head in surprise, half expecting there to be someone else standing there, as Midoriya tried unsuccessfully to keep her from looking. What she saw made her do a double and triple take just to make sure she hadn't imagined it. In front of her, surrounded by a slowly dissipating steam, stood a skeleton wearing All Might's clothes with a large amount of messy golden hair and All Might's piercing blue eyes. Only those eyes were sunken back deep within two large black pits on his face and the long golden hair lay deflated around his jutting cheekbones and sad smile. The tattered white shirt hung loosely to his thin frame, like a bed sheet, and the baggy yellow pants looked like they were about to fall down. She couldn't believe her eyes. Was this really the number one hero that stood in front of her now? He didn't look anything like the tall muscled man that had stood down three powerful villains just moments before. What had happened?

"My pleasure, I'm actually a big fan of yours," Cementoss continued to say to the deflated All Might as if nothing was amiss.

"A-all Might?" Maddie asked under her breath, the words catching in her throat as she took a step towards him while Midoriya continued to desperately try and keep her back

Toshinori's eyes shot to hers in a panic as he realized she was there, but there was nowhere to hide now and no more excuses to make. "Oh hey, Bubbles," he weakly waved, trying to put on his most ashamed smile. _Shit_.

"I don't understand. Why do you look like that?" she asked, slowly approaching him with some caution.

"it's, um…it's what's left of me after a fight I had about five years back. I can't hold my powered-up form for more than three hours anymore. I'm really sorry…I was gonna tell you when we met up this afternoon…though I know I should have told you sooner. It's just, you haven't seemed that pleased to see me ever since we reunited and I didn't want you to think even less of me if you saw me like this," he tried to explain while waving his lanky arms and big hands across his frame. Cementoss and Midoriya remained quiet and watching in awkward silence.

A look of overwhelming shame crossed Maddie's face, stopping her in her tracks. "Toshinori, I had no idea…I'm the one who should be apologizing. I'm so sorry I made you feel that way. I was being stubborn and stupid while you've been right there, putting yourself on the line for others despite your injuries." She lifted her hung head suddenly realizing something, "You can only hold your form for three hours? It's been way more than that today hasn't it? That's why you wanted me to come here before you did. You were trying to buy yourself some time. And now after that fight you just had, oh my…are you ok?"

Realization had dawned on her that he had really pushed himself to the brink and had been in way more trouble than she had suspected. That must be why Midoriya kept jumping into the fight to help him. The boy must have known he had reached his limit! She could have helped him more too, how could she have been so blind! He could have died! And here she was, just assuming he was some unstoppable force and selfishly expecting him to defeat those villains on his own. She suddenly rushed to his side, hoping to make up for it in some way.

"My God, you're bleeding! Here, let me help, I can stop it," she said, reaching for his shirt.

"Oh! Wait, no no! It's alright, you couldn't have known, I don't blame you for anything. I'm fine, I just need to get to Recovery Girl, and Midoriya could use her help too," he protested, suddenly getting defensive and trying to fend her off with his bony arms. He was too weak though, and he coughed up blood, making her even more insistent on examining his bleeding side.

"It's ok, I'm technically a nurse, let me see it," she complained. It really was shocking how thin he was now that she was so close to him. What a difference from the bulky guy she was so used to seeing. It slightly weirded her out.

Toshinori really didn't want her to see the ugly scar that marred his left side. It was bad enough that she had seen his true form, not on his terms, but what was even worse was that she hadn't reacted at all the way he had thought she would. He had expected a scoffing laugh and a "serves you right" from her, but all she had given him was concern for his wellbeing and an apology. It was unexpected, and though he was pleasantly surprised by her change of heart, it only made him less prepared to show her the ugliness he kept hidden under his shirt. He didn't want to see her face when she recoiled at the sight of it. He didn't want to feel her pull away in disgust. He didn't think he could handle the crushing feeling of shame at the moment.

Finally, after unsuccessfully trying to stop him from jumping away from her, she yelled at him angrily. He seemed to have a lot of energy all of the sudden for someone so weak. "Toshinori Yagi! Stand still and let me help you, or else!"

He saw the fire in her eyes and meekly gave up, bracing his heart for her reaction. She lifted up the bloodied shirt and he heard her catch her breath at the sight of his mangled scar. "Damn Muscles, was this from that fight you were talking about? That's a serious scar you've got there. It's absolutely incredible that you can still fight like a pro with a wound like that. I'm impressed."

Toshinori's head spun yet again in confusion at her reaction. She was being completely unexpected and he was completely confused. She hadn't recoiled at all, in fact she seemed fascinated and supportive. What was going on?

"Does it hurt? Is it all right if I touch it?" she asked with her hands hovering over his side, eyes meeting his.

"It's just a little sore but uh, yeah, you can um, touch it," he stuttered quietly.

"Hey," she smiled softly, "It's alright, I understand so much more now."

She closed her eyes and drew on the power of her quirk, rehydrating All Might's wound and encouraging the punctures in his skin from the brain villain to heal faster. A swirling and glowing blue light, fluid like water, enveloped her hand and his side, drawing in more water as she concentrated. He watched her work, fascinated himself, and then slowly relaxed under her soothing touch. She really did have a gift. He instantly felt better and he could feel energy seeping into his soul. She finished the healing and gently lifted her hands off of his side, inspecting her work. The puncture holes had nearly closed and his scar looked slightly more refreshed, the skin not so dry and wrinkly.

"Wow," he breathed, "I feel great. You should do this more often." He then immediately blushed, realizing what he had asked.

"I wouldn't mind," she replied, "it is my job after all. Support hero."

They stared at each other and Toshinori's heart suddenly started pounding faster. She was absolutely wonderful. She hadn't acted at all like he had thought she would. She had brought him comfort and warmth when he had needed it most. Her kind eyes melted him and his heart was bursting at the seams with gratefulness and…and…well, he felt very fragile at the moment.

Cementoss cleared his throat, breaking up the awkward moment. "Uh, we should sneak you all out of here, get you to the nurse's office. Seriously though, All Might, that could have been really bad."

Toshinori and Maddie broke off their connection and returned their focus to the matter at hand. "I had to act recklessly or else I'd be dead right now. Just goes to show how strong those villains are," Toshinori told the cement hero.

Maddie got to her feet and went to Midoriya, satisfied that All Might was alright, for the time being. He was certainly not "alright" in every sense of the word, but hopefully they would have some time later to talk more. Right now, they need to get to Recovery Girl.

 **A/N: Hey everyone, thanks for being awesome and thank you for reading this story! I tried to make the USJ scene as short and sweet as possible since we all already know what happened.**

 **After reading some reviews I just realized that maybe I should change the rating on this story? I have it set to "T", but it's a story about adults and adults get into different shenanigans than teenagers do. There're also a few curse words, some violence, and of course, romance…which will get a lot more hot and heavy as the story goes on. What are your thoughts? What's pushing the boundary for a "T" rating? Thanks!**


	5. Rooftop Chat

Chapter 5: Rooftop Chat

After All Might and Midoriya had been taken to Recovery Girl, Maddie stopped by the coffee shop she was supposed to have met All Might at after work. That obviously wouldn't be happening today, but she thought sitting quietly in the shop for some time might help her clear her thoughts. She hadn't been injured in the fight at all, and after making sure all the students were accounted for and answering some of the police's questions, she needed some "me" time to reflect. It had been quite the day. She still couldn't believe a whole gang of villains had attacked a class of students, just to try and kill one of their teachers. Poor Eraserhead and Thirteen were pretty messed up, but she heard they were now in the hospital and stable. The giant brain villain had been apprehended by the police a few miles away. He apparently didn't have a scratch on him but didn't put up any resistance. It was like he was a puppet without a master. Maybe it really was villains who had broken into the school the day before and had covered it up with the swarm of press. How else would they have known about All Might teaching at the USJ?

She stood in line for coffee at the counter, and a chocolate pastry caught her eye. _Well why not?_ She thought. When her turn came she ordered a mocha and four chocolate pastries. She left the coffee shop with her purchases, deciding on walking a little instead of sitting. The news monitors all over town blared with news of the attack on UA students. People were starting to doubt the school's security.

She walked towards the school, boots clicking on the sidewalk and sipping on coffee. Nobody bothered or stopped her. She looked like a hero, all dressed in her costume, but no one knew who she was. She preferred it that way, she was able to simply walk and think, blocking out the rest of the world and the noise. _So, All Might was losing his power, huh?_ She wondered if it was all the result of the fight he had told her about, or if it was because of something else. She still found it hard to believe. He was so drastically different. Not as big and confident anymore. He had seemed worried, nervous, and slightly fearful, emotions she was not at all accustomed to seeing him display. It had all seemed so surreal to her. Was he even All Might anymore? Well of course he was. Physical appearance doesn't change who you inherently are. He still risked his life for those kids and, now knowing the true nature of his condition, she realized how much of a risk that really was.

He still seemed almost like a different person too her though. There was a side to him he had kept hidden from her because he was afraid of what she would think of him. He should know by now that it wouldn't have mattered to her, that she actually found him less irritating now that she knew this other side of him. He was more human and less superstar. She really needed to talk to him more, she couldn't wait until tomorrow. She hurried her steps to the school, glad she had bought so many pastries.

Upon reaching the school, Maddie opened the door to the nurse's office using her quirk since her hands were pretty full of coffee and pastries, and splashed water all over an ordinary looking man in a tan trench coat standing in front of the door. "Oops, sorry! I didn't expect anyone to be standing there…uh, should you be standing there? Who are you?"

The man had jumped at the cold splash of water that had pushed the door open behind him and gotten all over him. He tried brushing off as much as he could while turning to meet Maddie. "Oh, it's no problem, no problem. I'm Naomasa Tsukauchi, I work for the police. I saw you helping down at the USJ, Sapphire, right?"

"Yes, I remember now," Maddie said, finding an exam table to put her purchases on before accepting Tsukauchi's hand in a friendly hand shake. "Here, let me help you with that," she added and reached out to his wet clothes, pulling all the water out of them and just storing it in her suit.

"Thanks, good as new," he remarked.

"Ms. Sapphire!" she heard Midoriya exclaim. She looked up to see the young hero waving at her with a smile on a hospital bed near the window. Both his legs were bandaged and so was his hand, but he still looked happy to see her. On the hospital bed next to him was All Might in his true form. His legs hung off the end of the bed since he was still pretty tall despite looking like a skeleton, and his abdomen was bandaged. At the office desk sat Recovery Girl, watching with interest.

"Hello Sapphire, what brings you here?" Recovery Girl asked.

"I uh…came to check on Midoriya," she made up an excuse. She had not expected to see this many people in the nurse's office and she felt awkward saying she had come to talk to Toshinori. She had indeed been concerned about Midoriya, so it wasn't a complete lie. "I brought pastries," she finished sort of weakly and held up the bag.

"Ooo, mind if I have one?" Tsukauchi asked. "I've got a lot more work to do today and I haven't eaten anything yet. I just came by to debrief All Might and Midoriya here."

"Oh, sure, of course," Maddie said and handed him a chocolate pastry. "So, I take it you already knew about All Might's…uh…"

"Yes, Tsukauchi is an old friend of mine. We've worked together before and I trust him with my life," Toshinori explained. "I, uh, didn't expect to see you so soon, Maddie. Thanks for stopping by," he finished quietly.

Maddie stood awkwardly for a minute, still trying to process the deflated hero in front of her. "Um, would you like a pastry? Midoriya?"

Midoriya nodded happily and she brought him the second chocolate pastry, which he eagerly started eating. Recovery Girl grabbed the other two from the bag and curiously took a sip of Maddie's mocha. She made a face of disgust and put it back on the table. "That is not real coffee. You actually like that sugary milk?" the old woman asked, taking a bite of one of the pastries she had nabbed.

"Yeah," Maddie chuckled nervously.

"So, uh, Sapphire, you work here at UA, right?" Tsukauchi asked.

"Yes, I teach the science class and help Recovery Girl."

"And you're a support hero? Do you have your hero license by chance? Not that I'd report you this time or anything, you really helped the students and my good friend here, but you should know you shouldn't fight villains without the license from now on.," Tsukauchi warned.

"Yes, I do know that, and I do actually have my hero license, I just prefer to work support," Maddie explained, a bit uncomfortable with the line of questioning.

"Alright, Tsukauchi, give her a break. She's had enough to go through today. I'll vouch for her if there's any more problems," Toshinori said to his friend.

Tsukauchi raised an eyebrow at All Might but shrugged and gave in. "Very well, thank you for answering my questions Ms. Sapphire."

"Oh, it's no problem really. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have," Maddie said.

"Thanks, hey maybe I can drop by your place or take you out for a drink and we could talk more later. I'd like to get as many eye witness accounts about the USJ attack as I can," Tsukauchi suggested.

Toshinori suddenly straightened up in the bed and answered his friend before Maddie could, "Is that really necessary, Tsukauchi? I said I'd vouch for her and you already have a lot of testimonies from us and the students."

"Well, she was one of the few on site first so I would like to hear it from her. Besides, the students were a little frazzled by the whole incident, and she's an adult, so I thought she might be able to give a clearer perspective. No offense to your class, Midoriya," Tsukauchi explained.

Midoriya nodded at him through a bite of pastry, not at all offended. Maddie smiled and said," It's alright, Toshinori, I'd be glad to assist the police with anything they need."

Toshinori frowned and grumbled, "All right, I understand," under his breath.

"Why, All Might," Tsukauchi laughed, "I'd say you almost sound a little jealous!"

"Huh? What, no!" Toshinori exclaimed, turning bright red. "I just don't see why you need to meet with her personally…oh never mind, it doesn't matter. She obviously wants too so it's fine as long as Sapphire is in agreeance."

"Wow, what's gotten into you, All Might? So defensive all of the sudden," Tsukauchi continued to tease.

Maddie tried not to blush and hurriedly approached Tsukauchi with her phone number written on a card in order to change the subject before she got dragged into it. "Uh, Officer Tsukauchi, here is my phone number, you can call me if you have any questions, of course, I will cooperate."

"Thank you, Miss Sapphire, I'll be in touch," Tsukauchi replied, momentarily distracted from All Might.

"Yes, well, that's enough out of you," Recovery Girl said, getting up to fuss at Tsukauchi. "My patient's need rest now and healing. Sapphire, All Might told me you did something with your quirk to heal the wound on his side back at the USJ. I'm really impressed with the results. His scar looks better than I've ever seen it and I barely needed to use my healing power on the puncture wound. Here, come take a look, I'd love to see you demonstrate what you did," she continued, addressing Maddie.

"Oh, sure," Maddie replied, following Recovery Girl to All Might's side.

A panicked look crossed the number one hero's face as Recovery Girl opened up his shirt to get at the bandage around his abdomen. "Um, uh, do we have to do this right now?" he stuttered, moving away.

"Yes, we might as well, everyone is here after all. Now lie flat and stop your wiggling. You just might be the worst patient I've ever had to work with, All Might," Recovery Girl scolded. She cut through the bandage over his left side and ran her deft fingers over the scar. "See, looks almost refreshed," she showed Maddie.

Maddie sat on the edge of the hospital bed and tried to avoid meeting Toshinori's eyes. She couldn't explain why it felt like her cheeks were heating up at being so close to him with so many people watching. She wasn't attracted to him, was she? Maybe it had been so long since she had touched a man's chest that she was a little embarrassed? It was probably because this was All Might, the number one hero, and he was just lying there, completely exposed and defeated under her very fingertips. It still felt so unreal and made her nervous. But she had a duty to do as a healer. She ran her own fingers over the bumps and ridges of his ugly scar and she felt him jerk and quiver at her touch. She pressed more firmly, trying to assure him that it was all right and calm him down.

"Be still, deep breaths, Muscles," she told him softly. She took a deep breath herself trying to cool her cheeks, and then drew upon her quirk, drawing the water from the stores in her suit and into Toshinori's skin.

Recovery Girl watched in fascination and Midoriya leaned over to see as well. "Wow, so cool," Midoriya gasped.

Tsukauchi watched the process as well, but he was more interested in All Might's expression, catching the hero's eye and smirking at him. All Might's face was flushed and he glared daggers at his police friend. He knew Tsukauchi could tell having Maddie this close was making him nervous. He was never going to hear the end of this. He shouldn't have gotten so upset when Tsukauchi had asked Maddie out. The perceptive police officer had caught on to his jealousy and would surely tease him even more about it. It's just that Toshinori had been so shocked by the warmth and kindness he had suddenly been receiving from her that he hadn't been able to distance himself from his feelings for her very well. He had just dived right in and welcomed her closeness and her touch, not caring who saw it. It was something he had hoped for a long time now, and he realized he may need to pull back just a bit, he didn't even know if Maddie felt the same heat and connection that he did. And, of course, there was Tsukauchi, reading his emotions and seeing the conflict on his face just like he was reading a book. It was all happening so fast! It had been too long since Toshinori had felt this way before and he needed to sort it all out before anything else happened. A relieving rush of coolness came over his left side and he was distracted from his thoughts by Maddie finishing her treatment. She pulled her hands away from his skin and he immediately missed their touch.

"Well, that's it. I just rehydrate the cells, though many people have claimed there's some other sort of healing they get from my quirk that's more than just the water. I've used it this way so often, that my quirk may have developed other sorts of healing properties. That's just my theory. All Might is pretty tense right now though, so I don't think it worked as well as the first time," Maddie explained to an impressed Recovery Girl.

"Probably from all the people making a spectacle out of him. Isn't it time for you to leave, Tsukauchi? Don't you have some villains to track down?" Recovery Girl asked with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, sure. Hey, Sapphire, incredible power you got there. You'll have to tell me about it when we meet up next time, and thanks for the pastry, it really hit the spot. Take care of this old hero for me, ok?" Tsukauchi said to her.

"Sure, thanks Tsukauchi, nice to meet you," she replied.

"See ya, kid," he said to Midoriya. "Oh, and All Might, we should talk later too," he finished with a wink.

"Yeah, sure," Toshinori said tiredly.

As Tsukauchi left, Recovery Girl went and grabbed some new bandages. "Here, bandage him back up for me. I'm going to go make some notes. Thank you for all of your help today, dear."

Maddie took the bandages and soon it was just her, Midoriya, and Toshinori left in the room. "All right, you can sit up now," she told the skeletal hero. "Sorry about all that, you seemed pretty uncomfortable. I could feel it in my fingers."

"Ah, it wasn't you, it was just Tsukauchi teasing me."

Maddie rolled the bandage around Toshinori's middle, making sure it was tight enough to add some pressure, but not too tight that he couldn't breathe. She couldn't believe how thin he felt under her hands. "You know, if you were powered up right now we would need a lot more bandages," she laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah," he chuckled.

"I didn't expect anyone to be here. I really just dropped by to talk to you since we weren't able to meet like we planned," Maddie explained finishing the bandage and looking Toshinori in the eyes.

"Really?" Toshinori said, his tired face brightening.

Midoriya cleared his throat, "Um, what's going on you guys? Should I go?"

"No, Midoriya, it's ok. I can talk with you too," Maddie said. Midoriya nodded in relief, the tension he felt between his two teachers was creeping him out a little.

"So, you knew about All Might didn't you? That's why you tried to stop me from going near him at the USJ. When did you find out?" she asked the young hero.

"Oh well it was when I first met All Might after he saved me from a villain. He couldn't hold his form anymore and changed right there in front of me. It's a pretty big secret though, so you shouldn't tell anyone. Only the teachers and Officer Tsukauchi know about it," Modoriya explained.

"That makes sense, I promise I won't say a word. You two seem pretty close though, why is that?"

"I'm helping him train. I too have some experience with a quirk that's too powerful for the body, so I thought I could offer some insight," Toshinori answered quickly. "Besides, he's a pretty good kid and a promising hero." Toshinori gave the young Midoriya a thumbs up.

Midoriya nodded suspiciously fast as well, "Yep, that's all it is."

Maddie suspected more but decided to drop it. Now wasn't the time to push them for more information. "Well, how long is Recovery Girl going to keep you guys here? Are you feeling better?"

"Much better, thank you. I should be able to go home later today. Thanks for trying to help us, Ms. Sapphire. You really are a cool hero!" Midoriya said.

"Well I feel like I could have done more. I'm so sorry about that. I just assumed All Might would take care of it all. You were the only one who knew what was really going on, Midoriya, and you were so brave. But a bit foolish, those villains could have easily killed you. There were too many close calls for my liking," she scolded.

"I know, I'm sorry," Midoriya hung his head a little.

"You shouldn't be apologizing, Sapphire. You did well. I should apologize for forcing you to rush into that situation in the first place. It was my fault I over extended myself this morning doing hero work when I should have been with my students. I've learned I need to be more careful. You shouldn't have had to fight like that, I should have been there for all of you," Toshinori said, still angry at himself for leaving his students in danger.

"Thanks, Muscles, but I think the important things is that we are all alright," Maddie said, standing up from the bed. "I should probably get home, but I'll see if I can find that last pastry for you guys. Hopefully Recovery Girl didn't eat both of them."

Maddie retrieved the last chocolate pastry from Recovery Girl and handed the bag to Toshinori. "Enjoy, and feel better, both of you. I'm glad I got to talk to you." She walked to the door but stopped before leaving and turned back to Toshinori. "And, All Might, we still need to talk later. Bye Midoriya," she waved and walked out of the room, heading home.

"Muscles?" Midoriya asked All Might in confusion.

"Don't worry about it, it's just an old nickname. Halvsies?" Toshinori asked, splitting the pastry in two.

"Sure," Midoriya said and took half of the treat. "You know, I really like Ms. Sapphire."

'So do I, kid."

* * *

The next day the students went back to school. There were still investigations going on concerning the USJ, but due to Recovery Girl's incredible power, and the notion that moving on with life and continuing as normal was a form of healing, no classes were canceled and Midoriya showed up in class along with his fellow classmates. Eraserhead was even feeling up to teaching his homeroom class. He entered the teacher's lounge that morning, wrapped from head to toe in bandages, but still seemed to be able to have a cup of coffee and silently judge everyone in the room as he waited for the bell to ring.

"Good morning, Shota," Maddie said when she entered the lounge and saw the mummified man sitting on the couch. "How are you feeling? Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I'm fine, just tired. It helps to work. Besides, today is the announcement of the Sports Festival. I feel like the students will need me to answer their questions," the dark haired man said in a low monotone.

"Sport's Festival? The school is still going to put that on despite the attacks?"

"Yes, they believe the Festival is needed now more than ever. It's a power play I suppose. They want the villains to know that they are not intimidated."

"I guess the students will be excited to hear all that. The Sports Festival is a really big deal I hear. I've never actually seen one before, but I know how important it is for the students to get their names and faces out to the big hero agencies."

"Well you're in for an exciting day. I'm sure you'll be on standby with Recovery Girl for any inevitable injuries, but watch out for Hizashi, he'll try to get you involved in one thing or another as well," Aizawa warned.

"Thanks for the heads up, and uh, take it easy, alright?" Maddie smiled at her morose fellow teacher. She got her own cup of coffee and headed to her classroom.

Of course, by the end of the day the news about the Sports Festival was spreading around the school like wild fire. The students were buzzing with excitement in the hallways and Maddie couldn't help but be in a brighter mood because of it. Everyone was especially excited about watching the new first years compete. They were fresh and unknown, not to mention class 1-A had already faced real villains at the USJ. The students who were participating in the Festival, which was most of them, would be receiving time off to train, so Maddie found herself with lots of free time coming up. She hoped she could spend it exploring more of the city and visiting any iconic places nearby. She hadn't had much time to do things like that since she had arrived in Japan.

"Hey, Maddie," Present Mic called to her as she was walking down the hallway on break.

"Oh, hey, Hizashi," she replied, happy to see her friend. "excited for the Festival?"

"You know it! So, you and I and some of the others should hang out a few times over this break we have coming up. Interested in seeing more of the city?"

"Perfect! I would love too. I was just thinking about that," Maddie replied enthusiastically.

"Great! And hey, uh, are you doing alright after the USJ attack? I know we've sort of been pushed forward, not much time to reflect, but you were right up there in the thick of it so, just wondering if you're doing alright?" Hizashi asked.

"Yeah, you know what, that was a terrifying moment, but the motivation to keep the students safe drove me through it. Then All Might showed up and everything was alright I suppose…until I found out I should have been helping him more. I wish he had told me about his injury sooner," she sighed.

"Oh so you know now huh? I don't know why he didn't tell you sooner, he seemed to think your opinion of him would lower even more than it already was. I guess that made him hesitate."

"He really thinks I think that low of him doesn't he? I guess it's my fault for being so cold…but Hizashi…when I saw him take on that brain villain at the USJ, knowing full well he could be killed…I don't know, I guess I never really experienced what a real hero truly is until that moment. It was like something woke up inside me and pushed away all the negative thoughts and feelings I've always had about heroes. I know there are some good ones out there, like you, but I always thought the most popular ones were only in it for the glory, that they'd back off when things really got tough, but All Might never did. He kept pushing, determined to save those students. I guess I don't hate him as much as I used to anymore, how can I, now that I've seen him for who he truly is," Maddie rambled on, trying to fight through her emotions and logic at the same time, trying to get what she really felt across to Present Mic.

"That's some deep shit, Maddie. I feel like you explained that to the wrong person though, not that I mind listening, but I think All Might's the one who really needs to hear it," Hizashi replied.

Maddie sighed and ran a hand through her highlighted hair, "Yeah I suppose you're right. It's just more difficult trying to tell him those things than it is telling you. I don't know, I just feel like I stumble with my words around him and…never mind, it's nothing. Have you seen him around?"

"Yeah he was talking to Midoriya earlier," Present Mic said eyeing Maddie suspiciously. "Do you think the reason you find it difficult to talk to him is because you _like_ him?"

"Oh no, no, no, we are _not_ going there again! This has nothing to do with that. God, I get drunk and compliment his butt just once and you guys think I'm madly in love with him! That is farthest from my mind right now," Maddie said throwing up her hands in exasperation. "I've got to learn to be friends with him again before anything like that ever happens."

"So, you're saying there's a chance?" Present Mic teased. "You do like him don't you! What was all that talk just now about how he's a true hero blah blah blah? You sound smitten to me."

"That is not what I meant! You know that, you just enjoy teasing me don't you Hizashi?"

"Well you're getting really defensive for someone who claims they don't care."

"I don't care!"

"Hey, tell me, how's his butt in skeleton mode? Still rockin it?"

"I don't know I didn't notice, I was too busy trying to use my quirk on his scar."

"Wait, you saw his scar? That's kind of cool, he'd not the biggest fan of showing it off. I've never seen it. Is it ugly?" Present Mic asked, suddenly intrigued.

"It's pretty bad," Maddie said, dropping her voice in some sadness. "All jokes aside, Hizashi, I feel kind of bad for him. It's hard for me to see him that way. It's so surreal, like he's a ghost. I still don't believe it, and when I touched him…god he's nothing but skin and bones."

"Yeah, it's a real shame, but don't pity him, alright. I know he wouldn't change a thing if he could go back and do it over. I think what he needs most right now is our support, and I'm glad to see you willing to give that too him now," Present Mic toned it down as well, but then gave Maddie a side wink and added mischievously, "and maybe a little something else on the side, eh?"

Maddie splashed him in the face with an aggressive stream of water. "That's it, I'm done with you," she said as he sputtered, completely surprised by her water attack.

"Well I never expected to find a couple of UA teachers acting like their students," a loud booming voice interrupted them from down the hallway. Maddie and Hizashi turned to see All Might approaching them in powered up form. He was wearing a dark blue suit and red tie and was smiling as always. "What are you two fighting about might I ask?"

"Oh, hey All Might, how are you my man?" Present Mic greeted him. "Maddie here was just telling me about how much she li– ahhh!" The voice hero yelled in surprise again as Maddie dunked him with more cold water, afraid of what he was about to say.

"It's nothing, All Might. Hizashi was just teasing me a little so I retaliated," Maddie finished for him. "But uh, yeah it looks like you're feeling better." She was relieved to see him in his muscled form, she had been afraid he wouldn't be able to transform back after that fight he had.

"Yes, all it takes is a little rest and I'm back on my feet, ready to save the day once again," All Might laughed.

Present Mic continued to try and dry himself off while All Might and Maddie stood awkwardly in the hallway. She didn't really know what to say, especially after her mind had just been bombarded by Hizashi's teasing. _Why was his butt the only thing she could think of right now?_ All Might wasn't saying anything either, though he looked like he had something on his mind.

"Uh, so I think I better head out," Present Mic finally said, noticing the awkwardness between them. "Why don't you guys go out for a coffee or something? I think Maddie has something she'd like to talk to you about, All Might."

"I suppose that's why I'm here," All Might said. "I believe you mentioned it yesterday."

"Alright, well…let's go then," Maddie said, suddenly reluctant. Present Mic wished her luck and patted her on the shoulder before he walked off whistling to himself.

"Where would you like to go, Toshinori?" Maddie asked the muscled man in front of her.

"How about the roof?"

"What?"

Toshinori motioned to her to follow him and he led her outside the school, standing in front of one of the glass sides of the building. "I could lose my form pretty quickly, especially after yesterday, so I'd prefer to go somewhere no one will be. That means going somewhere only I can get to." The big hero eyed the top of the building.

"Now wait a minute, I'm not going up there. It's really high!" Maddie protested, but she didn't really have a choice when All Might turned to her and in one swift motion lifted her into his arms.

"Relax," he chuckled, "You've done this before."

"Yeah but I was unconscious last time!" she yelled with fright as he pushed off the ground straight up into the air. She closed her eyes tight, feeling gravity trying to catch up with them as they zoomed straight up the side of the building. She barely had time to scream, especially since it felt like she had left all her internal organs back down on the ground. Her head and stomach felt giddy and full of butterflies, but she still managed to be hyper aware of the various muscles on his body that she had a death grip on. She kept her face pressed into his chest. _Don't look down, don't look down!_

He landed with a giant thud on top of one of the building towers, and even though she knew it was over she couldn't bring herself to let go. She could tell they were high up in the air. The wind was stronger and the air smelled…high.

"All right, Bubbles, you can let go now, we're here," Toshinori said. She shook her head, face still pressed into his giant pec muscles with her eyes squeezed tight. Her heart was pounding in fright.

"Hey, hey," Toshinori said, firmly pulling her away from him and setting her on the ground. He kept his hands on her shoulders and tried to get her to open her eyes. "You know I would never let anything happen to you. If you fall I'll catch you. Now trust me, open your eyes."

Maddie cracked an eyelid and jumped back, seeing his strong shadowed face so close to hers, but when she realized she was now standing on her own near the edge of the tower she freaked out again, eyes wide and hands spread out, frozen in place. "All Might, I really don't like this."

"Easy girl, I didn't know you were afraid of heights," Toshinori laughed. "Sorry, maybe this wasn't such a good idea." He approached the frozen woman and took her hand, leading her slowly to a wall and having her sit with her back against it. He sat down next to her and let her breathe for a little while. "Better?" he asked.

"Yeah a little. Every time the wind picks up I feel like I'm going to be blown off the building," she said, her voice slightly shaky.

"Well how is the wind going to blow you off when it's got me to deal with, eh?"

"What about when you pop back into your other form? What are you going to do then? I'm the one who's going to have to save you!"

Toshinori laughed out loud in a big booming voice, truly amused. "I think you're worrying too much. Uh, so, what did you want to talk to me about?" he said trying to change the subject and take her mind off the height.

"Erm, I guess I just wanted to know why you didn't tell me about your injury before yesterday. It seems like everyone knew but me, almost like you told them not to tell me about it either," Maddie said, keeping her eyes locked on his face and avoiding looking towards the edges of the building.

"Well if you remember you were acting a little cold towards me from the beginning, and when you started to warm up to me a little, I guess I didn't want to ruin it by letting you know my secret. I was going to tell you the day of the USJ attack after school, but you found out yourself."

"Hizashi said he thought it was because you didn't want me to think any less of you than I already did. Is that true?" she asked looking down at her feet. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I was being stubborn. I was angry at you for becoming such a popular pro hero and driving me away from the profession. I blamed you for being the reason I didn't go pro because I didn't want to be like you, always in the spotlight and a TV interview every other day. I didn't think that's how a hero should act, so I rebelled and became a support hero. I guess I never forgave you for that," Maddie said, suddenly dumping her feelings and regrets on him all at once.

Toshinori was speechless, staring at her and gaping like a fish. "I see," he finally managed to say. "It makes more sense now. I was wondering why you didn't go pro with such an amazing quirk. I must admit, when I made my debut it was all about the fame and building myself up to the number one hero position, but I always tried to keep my ideals and reasons for doing what I did foremost in my heart. If you knew about my former master and how I developed my power, maybe you would have understood better. Sure, I loved the glory and the attention, but I hope I never lost sight of what was really important, being a good hero and saving people in need," he finished strong, making a fist and smiling broadly. "I'm sorry you didn't go pro because of me. I wish I could have had more time with you, maybe I could have helped you understand."

"Maybe," she smiled at him. "But it's fine now, and I think I chose the right path. I enjoyed my time in support. I don't regret it."

"So, what made you change your mind about me all of the sudden? It was like one day you were pushing me away and giving me the cold shoulder and the next you were offering me your hand. I could have sworn you were going to pull the "I told you so" move on me when you first saw me in my true form. I was kind of surprised when you didn't," he asked the nagging question he had on his mind.

"Oh," she blushed a little and turned away. "I guess it was when I saw you battling the brain villain at the USJ. It wasn't for show or glory, there were no cameras, it was just you standing in between the students and the villains. I could tell you were tired and wearing out, the villains almost had you beat, but you never gave up. You were just like pow, pow, smash, boom!" Maddie said, thrusting her fists forward in punching motions with each of her words, mimicking the hero. "I just felt so inspired, you know. I wanted to cheer you on and give you all my support! Then I saw you in your true form, tattered and injured, and I just knew I had been so wrong about you. You were a true hero." She looked down at her feet again and soft laugh escaped her chest, "You were my hero."

Toshinori coughed up blood in surprise at what she said and popped back into his true form rather abruptly.

Maddie jumped away from him in shock, yelling a little. "God, it is seriously freaky when you do that!" she exclaimed, staring at his skinny form in the now baggy looking suit.

"Sorry, I guess I was just startled by what you said. Maybe even a bit embarrassed. I, uh, thank you for saying that, it means a lot," Toshinori replied. His voice sounded so much more tired and depressed in this state. It was still just as deep, but had lost its animated tone.

"You're welcome. I've been needing to tell you that, I'm glad I finally did," she said. "But, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Better than ever," he smiled, "The blood coughing is just a side effect of my injury." The wind picked up again and tousled his golden massy golden hair. Maddie crouched back down in front of him, feeling safer at a lower plane and closer to Toshinori.

"You know," he continued, "I only smile like I do to hide how sacred I really am sometimes. If you smile you can push through anything, but it's really just a brave face for when the pressure is high. I'm not the infallible hero I used to be."

"You're still All Might, no matter what you look like. You've done too much for the people who love you to forget."

He snorted in amusement, "Well maybe you're right, time will tell. I'm just glad we can be friends now. It's a lot nicer seeing you smile at me than frown."

A gust of wind blew in stronger and Maddie found herself scooting up beside him, bracing against the chill. "Still think I can protect you like this?" Toshinori laughed.

"Oh no, I was just making sure you didn't blow away," she countered. "Guess I shouldn't call you "Muscles" anymore, huh? You're more of a "Bones" now don't you think?"

"Naw, you can technically still get away with calling me "Muscles," it's ironic. Besides, I always liked it when you called me that," he cracked a grin.

"I'm still not sure how I feel about "Bubbles," she frowned.

He laughed and then ran a hand through his messy hair. "Hey, so are you doing anything this coming week? I know we've all got some free time and I was just wondering if you'd like to spend some of it with me? I'd kind of like to get to know you better…if you want to." He seemed slightly embarrassed asking her, just like as if he was a grade schooler talking to a girl for the first time.

She smiled at him. She couldn't help it that his wry grin and hopeful eyes made her heart beat faster. Despite the fact that he looked a little like a skeleton, he had this puppy dog look to him with his sad eyes and floppy hair. He was kind of cute. She mentally slapped herself out of it. _Stop it! He's your friend only…for now…no stop it!_

"Sure," she managed to answer, "I'd love to meet up with you sometime. You still owe me a coffee, right? Maybe I can make up for being such a jerk lately. Now tell me, how exactly are we getting down from here?"

He laughed, suddenly very animated and excited. He stood up, taking her hand and helping her up. "There's actually a staircase."

"What?! You really are the worst!"

Toshinori walked Maddie carefully to the staircase since she was still a little uneasy being so high up in the sky, though she seemed to be growing accustomed to it. They made their way down the long staircase, careful to avoid being seen with Toshinori in his true form, and by the time they made it back to the ground level, most of the students and teachers had already left for the day.

"Well, guess I should be going home again. Jack probably needs to go out," Maddie said as they reached the entrance to the school.

"Can I walk you home this time?" Toshinori asked.

"Won't people see you like that," Maddie asked, indicating his thin stature.

"Yes, but they won't know who I am so it's fine."

"Alright then, how about just to the train station?'

"Deal."

The short walk to the station went smoothly and the two UA teachers had a nice friendly chat along the way. They exchanged cell phone numbers before Maddie boarded the train so they could contact each other over the break. "I'll be doing hero work and helping Midoriya train up a bit, but I should have plenty of spare time. I can only work about three hours a day now as it is. I look forward to seeing you soon," Toshinori told her as the train rolled into the station.

"Yeah, it should be fun," Maddie responded. "Thanks for walking with me, see you later." She got on the train and waved to him as it moved out of the station. He waved back and watched the train zoom off, excited to start a new chapter in their relationship.


	6. Seashell

Chapter 6: Seashell

The phone rang pretty early in the morning and Maddie groaned as she rolled over in bed to grab it and look at the caller ID. She had just started her break, and while she did have some supplemental science classes to teach to some of the struggling students at various times of the day, she had been looking forward to sleeping in a little and taking some nice relaxing walks with Jack. It was too early for a phone call. She grumbled at her ringing phone and glanced at the screen, seeing that it identified the person calling as "Muscles." She groaned even more. Couldn't even give her a day, could he?

"Hello?" she answered, voice groggy and full of sleep. Jack started barking in the background, excited that she was finally getting up.

"Good Morning!" Toshinori's voice boomed on the other end of the line. "I just finished up stopping some bad guys around town. Would you like to join me for breakfast?" There was a loud whooshing sound coming through the phone along with his voice, he was probably flying through the air as he spoke to her.

She had to pull the phone back from her ear just a bit to avoid going deaf. "Ugh, it's so early," she grumbled. "What are you doing up and sounding so loud and excited for?"

"Well, crime is at its peak in the early hours of the day. And stopping bad guys really gets the adrenaline pumping!"

"How long have you been up?"

"Oh, since like two AM."

"Two AM? That's prime sleeping time for me," she exclaimed. She had never been happier about being a support hero, the hours tended to be a little more reasonable.

Toshinori laughed. Well, what do you say to breakfast? I'll buy you some coffee, it will help wake you up, then we'll have so much left of the day to spend together!"

He wanted to spend the whole day with her now? She didn't know if she could take it. "All right, fine. Just give me some time to get up. Where do you want to meet?"

"I'm so glad you agreed! I'm actually already here so don't worry about that."

"Wait, here? As in at my apartment?" she heard a giant thud outside on her balcony and Jack started going nuts.

"No! What the hell are you thinking?! You can't just show up at my place without asking! Making all that noise and looking like All Might! What would my neighbors say?!"'

"Uh, sorry, I thought it'd be alright," he said sounding ashamed. "I'm wearing a shirt and pants if that helps? No costume," he added in a hopeful voice.

"No! You'd look like All Might even if you were wearing a dress!" She sighed loudly and sprang out of bed, rushing to put on a robe and some slippers. "Just deflate into your real form and be quiet. Try not to wake up my neighbors." She hung up on him before he could respond and tried running a brush through her messy morning hair.

Out in the living room Jack was barking like a lunatic at the balcony door. She saw Toshinori's smiling face peak through the blinds and he waved at her happily, still in his powered-up form. She rolled her eyes in frustration and flounced over to the balcony door, unlocking it and letting the tall man inside. Jack growled form behind her as he stepped inside the room, still beaming as if he hadn't done anything inappropriate.

"Well, good morning! Hey, I'm really sorry about this, I thought you'd be up."

"It's seven in the morning," she growled.

"Oh..." he laughed nervously. "You look cute though."

"Excuse me? I'm still in my fucking bath robe!" she practically yelled.

"Alright, take it easy," he said, putting his hands up in defense. "I said I was sorry."

She sighed and grabbed Jack's leash from by the door. "Here, make yourself useful and walk Jack for me while I get ready. And please deflate for me so you don't freak my neighbors out as much. Though, you'll probably still scare them in your other form too."

"I thought you'd prefer to see me like this."

"It doesn't matter to me what you look like. I just don't want the press swarming me if they find out I personally know All Might and he was in my apartment."

"Oh, alright then," Toshinori said. He poofed back into his thin frame and took the leash from Maddie. "Uh, Bubbles, are you mad?"

"Well if I'm not mad yet I'm certainly getting there! And don't call me that! Just walk the dog please." She stormed off into her bedroom.

Toshinori cringed a bit and then looked down at Jack who was still growling at the other end of the leash. "Hey, Jack, remember me?" he asked the little dog. "I brought you something this time." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a large dog biscuit. "Friends?" he offered. The little black Shiba yipped happily and took the treat, devouring it in seconds. He then licked Toshinori's hand and pranced to the front door expectantly.

"Well at least you like me now," Toshinori sighed. "I think it's going to be harder to get back into the good graces of your owner though. Maybe you can give me some advice." He opened the door and followed the little dog outside.

By the time they came back from the walk, Maddie had gotten dressed and refreshed. She came out of the bedroom as Jack and Toshinori entered the apartment. "Hey, thanks for walking him. I'll just put his breakfast in his bowl and we can go," she said.

"I think he and I are friends now," Toshinori smiled. Jack barked happily and went to eat the food Maddie was putting in the dish. As she bent over to fill the dog dish on the floor, Toshinori finally got a good look at her, and he couldn't help but stare. She was wearing a cute light blue sun dress with a shiba inu dog pattern around the rim. The dress stopped at her knees, but it showed off her curves well.

"Wow, you look great," he blushed. "I like your dress."

"Oh, thank you," she said standing up straight and surprised by the compliment. She grabbed a light sweater for the early morning chill and a small purse to go over her shoulder.

"You know, it's all on me today, I'll pay for everything," he offered when he noticed that she had grabbed her bag.

"Oh, thanks but I need it to carry my keys and phone anyways. Besides, this isn't like a date or anything, I can pay my way as well," she said.

He felt a sharp pang in his chest at her words, but he supposed she was right. They were just two coworkers going out for a friendly breakfast.

"So where are we going?" she asked.

There's this nice place on the beach boardwalk. Great breakfast," he answered.

"Alright, let's go. I could really use some coffee right about now. Bye, Jack," she said and led Toshinori out the door.

They arrived at the breakfast café and sat near a window so they could see the ocean. After they ordered coffee and food Maddie said, "You know I'm sorry for being so upset with you this morning. I just didn't really expect your call so soon and I was a bit frazzled I guess."

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have just appeared out of nowhere without asking you first. It won't happen again. I just couldn't wait to see you," he said.

"Well, you finally got what you've been asking for since high school. Here I am, out with you, drinking coffee," she observed, leaning back in her chair.

"Almost," he corrected. "like you said, this isn't a date. If I remember correctly I had asked you out on a date back then…which you rejected."

"Well you're easier to be around these days, and maybe I'm less stubborn. I don't hate your guts like I did back when I was immature. Why did you like me so much anyway? I was always rude to you."

He leaned back and thought for a moment. "Well, you were pretty and strong and you stood up for yourself and fought against everything that was thrown your way. Also, you were from America, and I thought that was pretty cool. I just wanted to get to know you better. I don't know if you can tell, but I'm a big fan of the United States. Had some of the best times of my life when I was working over there. All my smashes are named after the states," he smiled.

"Oh, I noticed," she laughed. She wondered if he still thought she was pretty and strong but decided not to bring it up. She didn't want to make the situation awkward, and the waitress had just showed up with their order.

"So, are you rooting for Midoriya in the upcoming Sports Festival?" Maddie asked once they had started eating.

"Yeah, I told him yesterday to really train hard and make a big impact, you know, really show the agencies what he's made of. Make a big statement. He won't let me down, even if he doesn't win, he'll still do great," Toshinori said, clearly excited about young Midoriya's debut.

"You know," she said, "I feel like there is something more to you and Midoriya that you guys don't want to tell me."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, like, is he your long lost son or something?"

"What? Oh, no, no, no! I, uh, don't have any children," he laughed nervously.

"Well, why is that?"

"Hmmm?"

"Why didn't you ever find yourself a nice girl and have a couple of kids? You're All Might, you can't tell me there aren't all sorts of women throwing themselves at you," she pointed out.

"Guess I never really focused on having a family. I'm the number one hero, the symbol of peace. I was just too busy. And I was worried if I did have people I really cared about like that, villains would just seek to use them against me. How about you? You didn't seem to start a family either, and you probably had a better opportunity to do so."

"Yeah I guess you're right. Can't really judge you there. Maybe that's why you have such a connection to Midoriya. He's like the son you never had. His quirk is certainly similar to yours," she pointed out.

"Heh, yeah maybe. I'm just getting old, trying to find my young protégé, teach him what it means to be a good hero."

"Well I'll be cheering for him too then. Also hoping he doesn't get all busted up as per usual."

They sat in silence for some time, reflecting on the past and enjoying the food, coffee, and company. Toshinori's thoughts drifted back to her apartment and he remembered something that had come up that he was interested in addressing.

"So, you said earlier back at your apartment that it didn't matter to you what I looked like. That stuck with me for some reason. Now, you can be honest with me here, I'm mostly curious and I won't be offended by your answer, but did you really mean that? You don't prefer my muscled form over this one? Most people that find out about me always seem freaked out by how thin and hollow I appear."

She raised her eyebrows at the odd question as she took a sip from her mocha, then realized it wasn't really that odd that he would want to know what she thought about his appearance. She could see the hanging anticipation on his face and knew, even though he said he wouldn't be offended, her answer would mean a lot to him.

"You know, Toshi, if I'm being honest, I never really thought about it too much. I just sort of accepted that it's a part of who you are," she said, trying to think of the right words to say.

"So…you don't think I'm…well, you know, a little ugly?" he struggled and tried laughing along with the question to make it seem less serious and more like a joke, only his laugh came out as strained and gave it away. Ordinarily he really wouldn't care what people thought of his appearance, but he really wanted to know how she felt. She seemed like a good judge, someone he could trust to tell him the truth, and he hoped he didn't repulse her. He felt like it would break his heart knowing she couldn't stand the sight of him. Why not save himself from the heart ache now instead of dealing with it later.

She leaned forward and looked him dead in the eyes, "You're not ugly, Toshinori." She then leaned back in her chair and continued, "Besides, I don't think what's on the outside counts as much as what's on the inside. Anyways, are you done? I'd kind of like to go walk on the beach a little. The water is calling me."

He nodded and they got up and paid for their meal, then headed out to the sand. The morning sun was shining brightly and Maddie eagerly trotted forward to greet the waves, tossing off her sandals and purse. Toshinori watched her, still mulling over the answer she had given him. He was not really satisfied with how she seemed to be avoiding the question, but he could understand that she didn't want to hurt his feelings. She had said he wasn't ugly…but is that how _she_ felt. Maybe he just needed to find a better way to phrase the question.

Maddie had reached the water and was letting the waves lap up and touch her toes. It was cold, but she didn't mind, it helped calm her down. She heard Toshinori approach and stand beside her in the surf. "Damn, that's cold," he shivered as the water touched his bare feet.

"It's a bit chilly," she agreed. "Want to look for shells? I bet the morning tide has brought a bunch of new ones in."

"Shells? Sure," he agreed. Maybe he would try asking her again later.

They walked along the beach, looking in the sand. They were the only two people there that early in the morning on the cool spring day, so pretty soon they were finding all sorts of nice seashells that the morning tide had washed in. Maddie wandered off a little on her own, tracking a pretty shell. She knelt down and dug in the sand, finding a peculiar shell and smiling as she put it in her hand, _perfect_.

Glancing back down the beach she watched as Toshinori bent over to inspect his own shells. The fresh coastal winds blew his hair and oversized shirt to one side, showing off the outline of his thin body against the cloth, he looked as if he might blow away. She smiled again and approached him, slightly concerned that the waves might knock him over, but also happy that she might finally have an answer for him.

"Find anything nice?" she asked.

"Yeah, look how big this one is," he said handing her a large white shell. She took it and ran her fingers over the smooth surface.

"Very nice," she agreed.

"What did you find?" he asked.

She showed him a handful of pretty shells she had collected and he looked them over. "You know which my favorite is though?" she asked him.

"Which one?"

She pulled out a small shell from her pile, "This one." He saw it was actually more of a fragment of a shell, it had jagged edges on it from where it used to connect to a much larger version of itself.

It looks broken doesn't it?" she explained. "And technically, yes, it is. It looks like it used to be a big shiny strong shell but then something happened to cause it to break. But now, turn it around and let the sunlight shine on it, and look at that, just look at those beautiful colors," she said, showing him the shimmering blues and greens of the inside of the shell fragment. "It's actually the prettiest shell of them all, you just have to look closely and not focus on what it used to be, but on what it is now. It's perfect," she smiled, offering him the shell fragment. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Toshinori took the shell from her, turning it around in his hand and watching it catch the light. He raised his eyes to meet hers and his breath caught in his throat and his chest felt tight as he realized what she was saying. He was the shell fragment. He nodded silently, unable to speak due to all the feelings building up inside him. She had given him a great gift, an answer he had needed to hear.

Maddie watched as his face seemed to brighten and glow with warmth. It almost looked like he was holding back a tear. She didn't elaborate any further, she didn't think she needed too, and if said anything else she would probably just get flustered and embarrassed. Just thinking about how she felt about him now made her want to blush. She didn't think he was ugly at all. Well, ok, it's true that he was more physically attractive when he was powered up and all covered in muscle with that strong handsome face of his. But when he was like this, so exposed and bare, almost tender without his hard outer shell…ugh, she couldn't believe she had these thought running through her mind. She embarrassed herself, but she finally had to just admit it, he really was damn cute, and she really hoped he wasn't a mind reader.

"Thank you, Maddie," he was finally able to say with a big swallow as words came back to him. "Would you like this shell back?"

"No, you keep it," she smiled. "A token of our friendship."

"Thanks," he said, looking at the fragment as if it was made of pure gold.

"I will say one thing though, your ass looks a lot better in your powered up form," she said with a mischievous wink.

"You mean…like this?" he laughed, starting out in his true form and bursting into his muscled form, turning around and showing off his backside.

"Yes!" she laughed along with him. Toshinori strutted down the beach, flexing and showing off all his muscles.

"Oh, cut it out, show off!" she yelled at him through laughs, then sent a big wave of water splashing into the big man, hoping to cool Mr. Hot Stuff down.

"Aaargh!" he yelled as the cold water soaked him, causing him to transform back into his true form. "Oh, you're going down for that!"

He sprinted back towards her and then splashed deeper into the waves before turning to face her. She was surprised at how fast he still was even when not using his quirk and she had to really move to keep an eye on him. "Two can play at your little water game," he said and with one fluid motion he powered up and pushed the waves forward, sending an enormous wave crashing her way.

She screamed in delight as she tried to dodge the cold water. She totally could have manipulated the wave to one side and not have been touched by it, but she thought it would be more fun to get splashed, and Toshinori was obviously hoping to get her wet. In retaliation she lifted the water under his feet straight up into the air in a big water jet and knocked him over into the surf. "Oh, you can play the game, but you can't hope to defeat the master!" she taunted him.

Toshinori sat up and spit out a stream of salt water. "I guess not," he chuckled, still sitting in the sand surrounded by the ocean waves and propping himself up with his hands. She stood on the beach in front of him, still laughing at him and wringing out her long hair. The dress she was wearing was completely soaked and he couldn't help but stare at how it now clung to her shape and how her happy laugh carried through the wind…she was beautiful. Much too soon for his liking she seemed to notice that her underwear was showing through her dress….and a lot more than just her underwear, and she started frantically evaporating the water from her clothes.

"Did you see that, you pervert?" she complained.

"Maybe just a little," he admitted with a grin.

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Would you get out of there. Come on, I'll dry you off." Toshinori gave in and got up out of the water, making his way towards her. He had since popped back into his true form and the wet clothes really hung on him, almost dragging him back down.

"Come on," she said with a slight giggle, "Sorry I splashed you."

"No, it was fun," he smiled. "I deserved it."

It was getting later on in the morning, so she figured she had better dry him off and try to take things down a notch, but unfortunately a surprised gasp interrupted them from higher up behind them on the dunes. "Ms. Sapphire? All Might? Is that you?"

Maddie felt her stomach drop in dread as she whipped around and saw none other than Midoriya standing behind them, wide eyed in shock with his mouth partly opened.

"Ah, young Midoriya!" Toshinori said in surprise. "Uh, we were just, um—"

"Training!" Maddie squeaked out, completely mortified. "Ever since the USJ attack I've been wanting to work on my quirk a little more, learn how to apply it to protecting you students." She had never been so embarrassed in her life. Here she was in a wet dress goofing off with a coworker at the beach in a very unprofessional manner, and a student had caught her doing it! She felt a slight relief that it was Midoriya, however. She felt like she could trust him to keep quiet about this.

"Oh…I came to train too. I like jogging in the sand, it creates more resistance," he explained, clearly uncomfortable with finding two of his teachers splashing around with each other in the waves. He decided not to mention the fact that one usually doesn't train in a sun dress.

"Well, um, good for you. Excellent work ethic!" Maddie applauded him. "All Might, why don't you help Midoriya here finish up and I will head on home. I really should be getting back anyways," she said, talking very loudly and very fast. She started backing away down the beach and waving goodbye.

"Wait!" Toshinori yelled and chased after her, leaving Midoriya behind in the distance and grabbing her wrist to stop her.

"Toshinori," she hissed under her breath, "I really don't think we should continue this right now with Midoriya here."

"Yeah, I know, I just can't let you go until…well I'm really sorry I kept you so long and everything."

"Hey I really don't mind. It was nice and I had fun spending some time with you outside of work. We seemed to get along pretty well, you know. It was easy to talk to you, like we've been good friends for a long time. Thanks for breakfast and conversation and everything, but I really should be going now," she reassured him. "We should do this again sometime."

"Tomorrow?" he asked. "If you're up to it. Midoriya's right, the beach is a great place to train, and it sounded like you seemed interested in training from what you said to him. Would you like some help?"

She thought about it for a bit, not really expecting to see him again so soon and not sure if she really was that interested in training…but she supposed it was important to keep in shape and practice with her quirk. "All right. I like to take Jack on walks on the beach anyways, so why don't we meet you at the pier tomorrow after lunch. Maybe the water won't be as cold."

"Sure, sounds great," he said, happy she had agreed.

"Ok, well go talk to Midoriya, he looks a little lost. See ya tomorrow," she waved.

"Have a good rest of your day," he said and watched as she found her sandals some distance away in the sand and started to make her way back to the street above.

"Hey, All Might, sorry if I'm the reason Ms. Sapphire had to leave," Midoriya said, jogging up beside him. "I wish she could have stayed, I'd like to see her use more of her quirk."

"It's alright, Midoriya. She has a little dog so she needed to get home and check on him. Hey, you won't mention this to anyone else, will you? I don't think Ms. Sapphire would like it if people knew she was sort of secretly training with me," the hero asked.

"No problem! I won't tell anyone," Midoriya confirmed.

"Thanks. So, training for the Festival?"

"Yes, sir!"

"All right, let's see how fast you can run."

Maddie arrived home and changed out of her salt encrusted dress, putting on a t-shirt and shorts. She pulled out her phone and saw a text from Midnight, asking if she'd like to go to the shopping mall for lunch. Maddie texted her back that she would meet her there at noon and then went to take a hot shower, her mind running with thoughts about her new friend, Toshinori.

 **A/N:** **Posted two chapters at once since they were a bit long to stick together!**

 **Sorry I didn't update sooner, I was out of town all weekend. I just want to thank you all so much for your reviews! Wow! Thank you!**

 **Rappy Yo Yo , your review was so thoughtful and I loved reading it, thanks so much! **

**To Bajy (and anyone else reading with concerns) I have some ideas if you'd still like to continue reading the story, but I just re-read the fanfiction guidelines and I think this story should be rated M since it already has curse words and violence, but also for content that will come in the future. I don't think it will really be all that bad, but I just don't want to get in trouble lol. What I'll do is let you know ahead of time if you should read a particular chapter or not. Thanks for your reviews and kind words my friends!**


	7. Casual Training

Chapter 7: Casual Training

The next morning of her vacation she got to sleep in and have a relaxing morning alone with Jack. In fact, she made her own lunch at home and basically stayed inside all morning, one of her favorite things to do. After lunch she collected an excited Jack and headed off to the beach again to meet Toshinori. The temperature was a bit warmer this late in the afternoon and she breathed in the salty air, happy to be out in her element again. Soon enough, Maddie and Jack arrived at the Dagobah beach pier. The little dog barked and dashed about, chasing seagulls and little crabs in the sand. His ears stood erect and he barked excitedly when he spotted his friend, All Might, standing on the pier, waiting for them. The thin man bent down to greet and pet the little dog.

"He really likes you," Maddie said as she approached him. "You know, dogs are an excellent judge of character. I'd never trust someone my dog didn't like."

"Glad to know I'm in the clear," Toshinori said, straightening back up. "I've never owned a dog, but I like Jack a lot."

"Well, you can hang out with him anytime you'd like. In fact, you can even pet-sit him for me sometime."

"Sure, he's welcome at my place anytime," Toshinori agreed. "So, you look ready for action."

She glanced down at her sports shorts and short sleeved shirt. "Yep. Thought this would be more appropriate than a dress."

"I did like the dress, especially when it got a little wet," he winked.

"Oh my," she teased, "Is the great All Might, savior of hundreds, flirting with a lowly science teacher?"

"What? I can't compliment a lovely woman? It gives the common folk a morale boost when I notice them."

"You really are full of it," she tsked. "So, how are you going to help me train today?"

"Let's go see what you got," he said. They walked down the pier and into the sand, searching for a more secluded spot. There were a few more people out at the beach today, and the water was a touch warmer.

"You know, this weird thing happened last time I was here," Maddie said while they were walking. "Jack started going crazy and took off and I had to chase after him to see what he was barking at, and there was this man on top of the sea wall watching me. He looked super thin and had lots of hair—hey! That was you wasn't it?!" she just realized. "Creep on people much?'

"Oh!" he chuckled nervously. "Well I was just taking a walk and I saw you playing around in the water. It was very mesmerizing so I stopped to watch a little, but then you saw me and I had to take off. I didn't want you to figure out it was me."

"All right, whatever you say, stalker. Is this good?" she indicated a section of empty beach.

"Yes, this is fine," he said. "So, what did you do the rest of the day yesterday?" She started stretching out her muscles and warming up for training, bending over and reaching down her legs. Those shorts made her ass look amazing, he observed, watching her stretch.

"Yesterday? Oh, I went to the mall with Midnight. Bought some underwear, talked about you."

"Huh?"

"Hey are you going to stretch out too?" she said, deliberately not answering his question. "You're not getting out of this training either you know. I'm not doing all the work while you just stand there on the sidelines and boss me around."

"Oh, sure," he said and scrambled to stretch out his legs as well.

"Ok, all warmed up. So, for defense, what would you suggest, since that's probably what I'll be doing the most of," she asked.

"How long can you hold up a water wall for? And how long can you keep the current rolling in it? A water shield seems like a good defensive option, especially if you can block attacks. Why don't you throw one up and I'll try to smash through it?"

"Alright," she said, using her quirk to pull water from the ocean and put it up in front of her, forming a fluid and raging wall of water as a shield. Toshinori powered up, expanding into his baggy clothes, and smashed his shoulder into her wall, trying to break through. Maddie had to take a step back due to the force he hit the water with. He was so strong! She realized she had never really been on the receiving end of his power since high school…this training session could be fun.

After only a few seconds he pushed through her wall, stopping his fist right before it contacted her face. "Not bad," he said. "Now, try some offensive defense. If I stand still and brace for it, can you knock me over?"

She sent a jet of water shooting forward and he braced his arms across his chest, taking the full brunt of it and standing his ground. She had only pushed him back an inch or so. "Damn that's still cold!" he shivered, shaking out his arms.

"Hmmm," she frowned, looking down at her hands. "I thought my water jets had more power than that."

"Don't feel too bad, I am the mightiest hero in all the land," he smiled broadly, lifting up a bicep for her viewing pleasure.

"Oho really?" she scoffed. "Think you can take this?" She shot several jets of water around his legs and he moved in surprise right into another powerful geyser, knocking him off his feet.

"Ah very clever!" he said, sputtering in the surf while she gave him her best smug smile. "I think all you really need to do is focus on thinking of ways to manipulate the water creatively, ways your enemies wouldn't expect and can't defend against. You have a fantastic mastery of your quirk and lots of versatility. Defensive and offensive, you've got what it takes."

"I suppose, I'm just not comfortable doing people harm."

"That's what's great about your particular quirk. You can use it in so many ways, such as to disarm and stop people without causing any real damage. Just knock them over, or…you know…drown them a bit."

"Drown them a bit? How would one do that? You know you can be kind of morbid for the symbol of peace," she shook her head.

"Look I'm just saying that it's ok to defend yourself. You shouldn't be afraid of hurting someone if your life or the lives of the students are on the line," he explained.

She sighed, "Well I've done a lot of damage before…a lot more than I meant to." She looked down at her hands, remembering what it was like to… no, she couldn't even bring herself to think about it.

"What do you mean?" Toshinori asked, getting up and walking towards her. He could tell something about her quirk, or something she had done, was bothering her more than she was letting on. "You want to talk about it?"

"No, not right now. I don't want to bring that up right now. Besides, there's no need too. It will never happen again," she clenched her fists closed with her words and set her face firm. She then turned and smiled at Toshinori with another mischievous grin. "Want to see the wave?" she asked, changing the subject.

"The wave?" Toshinori asked, letting the previous topic drop.

"My signature move," she smiled. "Can you stand against that?" She spread her arms out wide, digging deep into her power, and the ocean began to drain away from the beach, instead forming a wall of water behind her.

Toshinori rolled his muscled shoulders and grinned. "All right, you can splash me. But face towards the ocean and away from the city," he added, moving into the waves, his back to the sea.

"Right," she replied, turning her building wave and facing Toshinori. "Jack, here boy!" she called to her little dog. Jack, knowing what was up, came sprinting towards her and stood between her legs to avoid the waves' onslaught.

She didn't hold back and with all her frustration and emotion she sent the enormous water wave she had built smashing down. "Tsunami Wave!" she yelled as the towering wall of water avoided her and Jack, crashing down on Toshinori full force.

If he had been younger and if he hadn't just given One For All to Midoriya, maybe he could have withstood the full force powers of nature. Being as he was, however, the wave knocked the All Might right out of him when it hit him full on with an icy rage. He was forced into his true form, spitting up blood from the rock hard slam of the water to his chest, and soon felt himself tumbling head over heels in the violent current.

As soon as Maddie realized what had happened, she rushed forward into the raging aftermath of the surf. "Toshi!" she screamed, suddenly genuinely afraid for him. _Shit, she shouldn't have used full force!_ She was so obsessed over bragging about her powers and trying to flush bad memories out of her mind that she had forgotten he wasn't as resilient as he used to be.

Jack barked shrilly at the waves, trying to follow her in and go after Toshinori, but Maddie pushed him back. She activated her quirk, feeling the waters currents and vibrations until she sensed his struggling presence. She pushed the water around him forward and towards the shore, sending his skeletal frame shooting back to the beach and dashing after him.

"Oh my god! Are you alright?! I'm so so sorry!" she yelled, sliding up to him on her knees where he lay face down in the sand.

Toshinori groaned and tried to turn himself over but his arms where giving out in the soft sand. Maddie grabbed him around the middle and helped him sit up and he coughed up sea water and blood as he sat back on his hands. "I guess I should have braced myself more," he choked.

"I'm so glad you're alive! I thought I'd drowned you!" she cried out again and pulled his soggy wet frame to her chest, pressing him close in a tight embrace.

"You can't get rid of me that easily," his muffled reply came.

She released him from her arms and he smiled, wet and waterlogged, covered in sand with seaweed sticking out of his hair. He looked like a sad little puppy, and she couldn't help but giggle with relief at the sight of him, so incredibly happy that he was ok.

"Hey, what's so funny?" he exclaimed.

"Nothing," she continued to giggle, "you just look so sad and wet, its cute."

"Cute?" he asked with a light chuckle, "Well I don't get that very often."

"Jokes aside, are you sure you're alright? Do we need to get to Recovery Girl?"

"No, I'm alright. Don't feel bad, I asked for it, and I must say, I'm even more impressed by your quirk. I'd find it hard to stand against even if I was at one hundred percent. You really shouldn't be afraid to use it more often."

"Yeah well…why don't we get you out of the ocean and talk about it more once you're dry," she said, pulling some seaweed from his tangled mess of hair. "I _am_ a nurse, and I think I know just the perfect medicine for this. What do you say we go get some ice cream?"

"Ice cream? I'm freezing!"

"Come on, get up," she said, standing and pulling him to his feet. He staggered up and they walked further onto the warm sand where she pulled all the excess water from his clothes and body. Soon he was dry and could feel warmth seeping back through him.

"Now, you'll be a little salty and still smell like the ocean…and there's nothing I can do about your hair," she added, trying to comb her fingers through the mats. "But at least you're dry. Now one last thing." She lifted his shirt and put her hand over his scar, pressing firmly and using her healing power to calm him and give him some extra energy.

A small stream of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as she worked. She had no idea what she was doing to him. To her, she was healing him, taking care of him, just doing her job as nurse and support, but it felt like so much more to him. She had held him close and showed real concern for his well being, he couldn't forget the relaxing warmth he had felt when she had smiled and run her hands through his hair, or how his heart had raced when he saw the worried look on her face…and when she had said he was cute. His blue eyes watched her as she healed him and he wondered if he would ever be able to tell her how much it all meant.

"There, good as new," she said stepping back.

"See, no need for Recovery Girl at all," he smiled.

Jack began to bark and they glanced towards him and saw that other beach-goers were starting to approach, curious about the enormous wave they must have just seen. Looking back at the beach, it was covered in seaweed and driftwood that Maddie had washed up with her wave. There were also several fish flopping around in the sand. "I'm starting to think that Tsunami Wave was not the best idea I've ever had," Maddie observed.

"Quick, let's get out of here," Toshinori concurred, grabbing her hand. Jack followed them as they moved through the sand and back up to the street.

The three of them finally found an ice cream cart out in a nearby park. Maddie bought a small vanilla cup for Jack and a chocolate cone for herself. Toshinori got strawberry. They walked through the sunny park and soon found a nice bench to sit in the shade. Jack eagerly went after his own ice cream, and once done, begged for seconds from his human friends.

"Sorry, kid. You're a dog, you can't have chocolate," Maddie said. "You'll have to ask Toshi."

"Well, I guess you can have just a bit," the thin man gave in. Maddie laughed as Jack took way more ice cream than Toshinori had intended. "Easy, boy!" he exclaimed, pulling the ice cream cone away.

"Well, feeling even better?" Maddie asked.

"Yes, you were right, this was perfect."

"Great," she said, then was silent for a moment.

"So, I had a question," Toshinori started, "I've seen you rehydrate plenty of things, you use it in healing, and your quirk is water manipulation which is pretty broad. So, could you possibly _dehydrate_ things with it?"

A strained look crossed Maddie's face and she sighed. "I guess I owe you an answer, though I'm hesitant to talk about it, but I'll tell you about something that happened to me a long time ago. Another reason I'm not so keen on using my quirk in a fight. I think you'll find your answer in this story."

"After I moved back home to the US and finished school, I was walking home one night and I was attacked. I was scared…and he had me pinned down. I had an idea of what he wanted with me, and I couldn't fight him off, he had some sort of vaporizing quirk that turned all the water I threw at him to vapor. I was completely helpless. So I… _fuck_ …" she paused, gathering her thoughts, and Toshinori could see her eyes filled with pain just talking about it. "I panicked, I didn't have any more water to use…and I pulled it from the only source I could think of, his body. It was horrible. He stopped attacking me when he felt the pain of every cell in his body being drained of water. His skin and organs wrinkled up…but I couldn't stop. I was so angry and afraid and he just shrunk into this withered and leathery form before me, like a mummy straight out of its sarcophagus. His screams slowly faded as he lost all ability to make any sound until he was nothing more than a pile of leathery skin and bones. He was dead. I had killed him. I had never wanted to hurt anybody, and here I had killed someone in such a horrific way. The police understood, I got in trouble but not very much. Not as much as I deserved. The worst punishment was that I had grown afraid of my quirk. It has a dark side to it that I hadn't realized, I could kill with it. It still makes me wary to this day and I have never taken water from a living thing again for my own uses."

She turned to look at Toshinori, eyes filled with sorrow and hands trembling slightly. "I don't list that ability under my special skills and I avoid talking about it as much as I can. I don't want people to think I'm a monster. I'm not a villain. I would never use this against a student, or anyone else for that matter. I've got it under control."

Toshinori swallowed and placed a large hand over one of her smaller ones. "Take it easy, it's alright. I understand why you're afraid to hurt someone, and I think knowing that you are afraid of it is why we can trust you. Lots of people can kill with their quirks, it's not something new, and it's the people who are respectful and mindful of that power that we call heroes. Just like you." He breathed out a soft burst of air and smiled at her gently, "Thank you for telling me about your story. I feel like I learn something new about you every day and I come to understand you more."

"Thanks for listening," she replied with a sad smile. "And for your words."

They finished their ice cream, each taking a moment to sit in silence and think about each other and all the new things they had learned by spending time together. She couldn't believe she had just come right out and told him something that haunted the depths of her soul so easily. He really was easy to talk to, and there was something about him that made her feel like he would never betray her, maybe that's why she had told him. Maddie decided she liked Toshinori very much and she regretted not becoming friends with him sooner. Things had certainly changed between them, she had told him about one of her most disgraceful acts and he hadn't shied away. Hell, she had nearly drowned him and he still went for ice cream with her. There was a strong bond of trust slowly building between them and it felt nice to have someone to confide in.


	8. Hero's Work

Chapter 8: Hero's Work

Maddie stood in Nezu's office the next morning and cringed as the little principal scolded her. Toshinori stood beside her, skinny and tall with an ashamed look on his face. She realized she couldn't blame him for this, it really was all her fault this time. She had never really been in trouble like this before. It was a new and harrowing experience for sure.

"I really can't even begin to understand why you thought sending a tidal wave careening down a public beach would be a good idea," Nezu said. The real problem was that he wasn't yelling, he was calmly berating them, and it was so much worse. "You are a UA teacher, I would think you would have more common sense. And you, All Might!" Nezu continued, turning to the skeletal man, "The number one hero! Allowing such a thing to happen, and nearly dying in the process. I simply am appalled."

"I wasn't really ever close to dying—" Toshinori started to explain, but Nezu cut him off.

"No, please, let me finish before I hear your excuses. Now I'm beyond happy you two are suddenly getting along, but that's no excuse to act like children. You're lucky no one recognized you, All Might, and that you, Sapphire, are too new to the school to be associated with it. Nevertheless, I want you to be more mindful and careful of what you do from now on. No more destructive beach parties. You represent this school and the values we are trying to teach our students."

"Yes, sir! It won't happen again," Maddie barked.

"Yes, sir," Toshinori added dejectedly.

"Good, you may leave now," Nezu said and sent them out the door.

Maddie got out as quickly as possible with Toshinori following. "I'm really sorry I got you in trouble," he said. As soon as they were in the hallway. "I didn't think he would have heard about it."

"It's not your fault, Muscles. I made the wave after all. I guess the phantom tidal wave made the news. I actually don't see what everyone is going on about. I hardly did any damage," she complained.

"It probably has more to do with the students than anything else. As teachers we really have to watch our actions," he replied.

They turned the corner and nearly ran into Present Mic, Midnight, and Recovery Girl. The three teachers jumped back from where it looked like they had been pressed up against the wall of Nezu's office.

"My, my, what do we have here? A bunch of snoops," Maddie tutted and crossed her arms when she saw them. "Recovery Girl, even you? I'm speechless."

"Oh, hey guys," Present Mic said nonchalantly. "you both are looking great today. A little tanned on the arms there I see. Been out in the sun lately?"

"We were just on our way to talk to Principal Nezu about you," Midnight added with a teasing smile. "We wanted to tell him how grateful we are that he hired you. You're really making a _big splash_ here at UA."

"Really?" Maddie said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Nice one, Nemuri," Present Mic chuckled.

"I suppose you all overheard our conversation with the principal then," Toshinori sighed.

"If you call that a conversation. It seemed rather one sided to me," Recovery Girl corrected.

"All right then, let's have it. Ask away," Maddie said.

"Did you really create and tsunami size wave in the middle of the day at a public beach?" Recovery Girl asked.

"Did you really almost drown All Might?" Present Mic said.

"Are you two dating?" Midnight asked.

Maddie threw her hands up in the air in defeat. "You three are the nosiest people I know," she said. "I'm going home, All Might will happily elaborate on any of your questions, but the short answers are "yes, yes, and no." Good bye." Maddie turned and walked down the hall, leaving a flabbergasted Toshinori and surprised Present Mic, Midnight, and Recovery Girl.

"Well, at least you guys are getting along really well," Present Mic said to Toshinori as they all watched Maddie flounce away. "I bet that feels great right?"

"More than great, I almost can't believe it sometimes," Toshinori replied thoughtfully.

"Well I'm with Principal Nezu. I still can't believe two grown adults would get into so much trouble. How many times have I told you to take better care of yourself, All Might? You aren't indestructible anymore," Recovery Girl scolded.

"Yeah, I know. I was just having so much fun…guess I was feeling like a kid again," Toshinori said.

"You should ask her out," Midnight added. Present Mic shook his head in exasperation.

"Hah, yeah right. We're just friends," Toshinori replied with some distance. "Anyways, I'm going home. See you around," he waved. "Sorry about all this trouble."

"You make our lives exciting!" Present Mic called after him as he shambled away. As soon as he was out of sight the voice hero turned to Midnight and frowned at her. "Dude you should back off with the whole "forcing them together" thing you keep pulling. They obviously dig each other, so just let it happen."

"I don't happen to think there is anything wrong with nudging them a little here and there. Why do you think I keep teasing Maddie about it? It's fun, and when they finally do hook up, I can take a little bit of the credit," the seductive hero winked.

"Well I feel like you just might make it worse. You know how Maddie is. Stubborn in all the wrong ways. If she thinks it's your idea and you keep pushing her into it, she's going to push back hard, and that won't be so great for All Might. So, let him do this his way." Present Mic countered.

"It's not all about him. If he takes too long she might lose interest or find somebody else. She's gorgeous and powerful. Someone is bound to notice her," Midnight argued.

"Who? Someone like you?" Present Mic asked.

"Possibly…but this thing with All Might is much more interesting, I've ceded her to him. Besides, she's pretty bad at flirting. She hasn't picked up on any of my hints," Midnight pretend pouted.

"You two are crazy," Recovery Girl said. "But I'm a sucker for good gossip. Keep me in the loop. I work closely with Sapphire you know," the short woman suggested as she decided it was time for her to go back to her office.

* * *

The rest of the break Maddie tried to stay low on the radar. She had a few remedial science classes to teach and, of course, went out to lunch with Toshinori a few more times. She backed away from being too flirty around him, trying to establish a firm friendship with him and nothing more, mostly in hopes of staying out of trouble, but it was getting more and more difficult to keep her mind from wondering what it would be like to get closer to the mighty hero. He was charming, polite, and genuinely interested in everything she had to tell him. He was so easy to get along with…when she wasn't absolutely annoyed by him. It was almost like there were two sides to him, the goofy heroic side and the more calm and intelligent side. She was learning to appreciate both…but she had a slight preference for him in his true form.

She also went out a few times with her coworkers, seeing more of Musutafu City. She was usually accompanied by Present Mic and Midnight, but a few other teachers would join them occasionally. Even Eraserhead made an appearance when they went to one of his favorite restaurants, even though he was still all wrapped up in bandages. After a couple of times exploring the city with her new friends, Maddie was becoming more familiar with the city and all the popular locations. She was very much enjoying spending time with them all, and despite the usual teasing she had to put up with, she was starting to feel more and more at home in this foreign land.

Pretty soon it was the weekend before the Sports Festival. She had gone into work a few times earlier to discuss security plans with the staff. They would be on high alert this year with all the recent villainous activity, and Maddie got to meet some of the heroes the school was employing to keep the festival villain free. Mt. Lady, Kamui Woods, and Death Arms made a particular impression on her. The brave young heroes were eager to help and support their agencies by being involved in the festival.

"You know, Sapphire," Nezu said as he pulled her aside at one of the meetings to talk with her. "I think it will be at the Sports Festival where you will be made known as a teacher at this school to the public. Try to keep that in mind. Also, if I might add, be careful with your association with All Might. The more you are drawn to him, the more the press will be drawn to you. Just a thought."

Maddie stared at him as he walked away, slightly confused by his words and wondering if he still didn't trust her to be a mature adult. It was only one time she had gone a little out of control. Maybe he was just trying to prepare her for the sudden explosion of attention she was bound to receive after her debut at the Sports Festival. He knew she preferred to stay on the sidelines…but she was finding that more and more difficult the more she got involved with these pro heroes. Was she ready to be well known? Was she ready to see her face on TV and be asked to do interviews? She wasn't sure.

"Hey, Bubbles," Toshinori called her when he spotted her after the meeting and her cryptic talk with Nezu. He was in full powered up form due to all the outside heroes at the meeting. He had to keep up appearances, not everyone knew his secret.

"What's up, Toshi?" she asked, smiling when she saw him, forgetting Nezu's words.

"So, I thought, to commemorate the last night before the festival, you could join me when I go do hero work tonight," he said with a big smile.

"Join you doing hero work?" she said nervously, "As back up support right?"

"No, as my partner!" he said excitedly.

Nezu's words swarmed around in her thoughts. It was like the little principal had seen this coming and was warning her about it. Spending too much time with All Might…helping him catch villains…she was bound to make a name for herself. Then everyone, including villains and other pro heroes, would know exactly who she was. "Uh, I'm not so sure about that. I haven't ever done official hero work before. I don't want to slow you down or anything."

"I promise you won't do anything to hinder me in any way. You'll be great and you'll have fun! I thought you might like to try your skills out a little. Come on, say you will, please! I'd really love to work with you!" Toshinori pushed, his excitement and pleading eyes were hard to resist.

"Alright, alright, fine. I'll do it," she gave in, unable to resist his smile. It was actually getting harder and harder for her to say no to him, something that was starting to irritate her greatly. Since when did she become such a softy? Anyways, it would be late at night and there wouldn't be any press around so hopefully she could still stay low on the radar.

"Yes! I'll swing by your place tonight then! Be ready," Toshinori replied happily.

 _What had she gotten herself into_?

* * *

It was around two in the morning when Maddie heard the familiar thud on her balcony and Jack started barking excitedly. Her heart started beating faster, nervous about her first night doing real hero work, and she had to take a minute to breathe in and out a few times before she went to answer the knock on her window.

"Good morning, Sapphire!" Toshinori exclaimed, then remembered how sensitive she had been about her neighbors and immediately toned it down. "Oops, sorry," he whispered. "Can't let your neighbors think there's a vigilante living here."

"Well, come on in," Maddie said hurriedly and ushered the big muscled man into her apartment.

Once inside he turned to inspect her, noting she was wearing her hero costume and that she even had her twin black swords on her back. "Very good. We should call each other by our hero names tonight only, so that the villains have a harder time finding out who we really are and using that against us."

"Fine, alright, All Might, so what's the plan? Brief me on the situation so I'm ready," she said intensely.

"Plan? There is no plan. I don't know when a bad guy is going to do something bad. That's why it's so integral that pro heroes go on patrol and keep a careful watch," he continued to study her and frowned slightly. "You seem really tense. You should loosen up a bit, it will help."

"I can't help it that I'm nervous and now you won't give me any sort of structure to fall back on. It's like I'm standing on the top of a tall building with no handrail to steady myself. I would like to apologize ahead of time for anything I screw up tonight," Maddie rambled.

"Ah, I know just the cure for that," he said in his deep booming voice and before she could protest, he scooped her up in his arms and went straight out onto the balcony, Jack barking at his heels and Maddie trying not to scream. He crouched and then pushed off into the night sky, using his powerful quirk to fly straight up into the air and Maddie hissed out a frightened breath of air as she pressed her face once again into his chest. "Hold down the fort, Jack!" the big man called down to the little dog who stood unhappily on Maddie's balcony. Several of the apartment windows in Maddie's complex lit up as their residents turned on lights to see what all the commotion was about. Toshinori pushed higher into the sky and was soon far out of view from the nosey neighbors.

Once at a steady pace in the sky, he nudged Maddie, "You should open your eyes now, you don't want to miss this view. Don't worry, I've got you."

She breathed several times before cracking an eyelid, and when she saw the sparkling city lights below them and the shining stars above, she couldn't help but open her eyes the rest of the way and move her head away from Toshinori's chest so she could better see the view. "Wow, this is beautiful," she said, gazing at all the tiny lights so far below them.

"Yes, it is, my favorite part of doing hero work, the impeccable views. Everything looks so calm and peaceful from up here, even though I know there is always trouble brewing down below in the dark. But it's nice to think this is the way it could be if men didn't let evil take over their hearts so easily," Toshinori mused.

"Wow…deep," Maddie commented.

"I can be when I try," Toshinori laughed. "Ah, that looks like a good place to set down. Hold on!" Toshinori started dropping down through the air, his cape fluttered wildly in the wind as they picked up speed and the hairs on top of his head that stood straight up were pushed almost flat against his head. He landed on top of a tower, his powerful legs supporting all the force of the landing without a problem, and he placed Maddie down beside him, holding onto her hand to steady her. "You ok?" he asked the shaking woman beside him.

"Yeah, I'll be ok, just don't let go," she said, trying not to look down. "What now?"

He laughed happily. "Now, we wait and listen. I can't tell you how happy I am that you're here with me! This is going to be a Plus Ultra night! I can just feel it!"

"Well, I'm glad one of us is excited," Maddie chuckled, slowly trying to get used to the height.

"Have you ever tried moving through the air quickly? I can't carry you the whole time, and it's an important skill to have, getting to the scene of the crime as quickly as possible," he asked.

"Look, I'm not exactly a hero, so I can't say I have much experience with that. I can move on the ground quickly enough with my water jets and I can move through the air with the water jet steps, but I've never done it this high up before. I also have a water wing that I can create to glide for short distances," she explained.

"Yes, I remember seeing you do those moves in your interview video. Well, why can't you glide with the water wing for longer distances? You control the water, just don't let it go, and continue to push yourself forward with the water jets as you move," he suggested.

"It takes concentration to manipulate water in so many different ways at the same time."

"Hey! I've seen you do incredible things, no more excuses! I think you're just using these reasons not to do something as a crutch to get out of taking risks in your life."

Maddie's face scrunched into a scowl and she turned to face him. "Wow, you sure are more confident when you're all big and strong aren't you? How dare you say that to me? You don't know me. You don't know what I've been through and all the risks I've had to take. Just coming to this city was a risk, and you know what, I'm not afraid."

"Prove it."

"What?"

"Go ahead, get out there and show me I'm wrong," he urged.

"Fine," she pulled her hand away from his and marched to the edge of the tower. "I don't need you to catch me." She spread her arms wide, glaring at Toshinori as she drew water in around her, forming it around her body and stretching it out into wing shapes on her back. It flowed and swirled around her like a living thing as she shaped it. Then, with a smug smile, she dived off the side of the building.

He must admit, his heart skipped a beat when she dropped and he started forward, but then she shot up into the sky in front of him, her stubborn pride chasing away her fears for the moment. Toshinori laughed happily as she opened up her water wings and soared through the air, shooting up jets of water around herself to stay aloft. He leaped into the sky after her, and when she saw him approaching, she yelled, "I can't believe I'm actually doing this!" and started laughing maniacally as she spun and twirled. The starlight reflected off her liquid wings and the water that was swirling around her, sparkling like jewels in the night sky.

He flew through the air beside her, matching her speed and movements until they were engaged in a mystical sky dance, using each other as stabilization and pushing through the air even higher. Toshinori ran a hand through the glittering water she was controlling. He knew it was only regular water, but up here it felt surreal on his fingers. Her eyes met his, sparkling and glinting with the water and stars. She was picture perfect. He had never seen anything so beautiful.

"Want to race?' she asked him with a grin.

"You're on!" he laughed.

"Ladies first!" she yelled, shooting herself forward with a little spin.

He followed easily behind. He could beat her in the blink of an eye, but he loved seeing her laugh and smile. She pushed faster and missed a water jet, faltering a bit in the sky and he rushed forward to catch her. Her water wings splashed him as he came in contact with her and grabbed her hands to keep her from falling.

"Oops," she said. "You win. I can't keep all those fancy tricks up for very long."

"Let's just say it's a tie," he compromised, spinning her around and giving her a twirl.

"It's like we're dancing," she laughed, "Only I've never danced in the sky before. All we need is some music," she said, letting him twirl her again.

"Hmmm what's one of those English songs? _Fly me to the moon_ ," he tried singing in broken English, making Maddie laugh even more.

"You're not very good at this are you?" she said when she could breathe again.

"Shut up! I'm very talented!"

"Well maybe you should focus your talents on what you're really good at, like fighting crime for instance?" she said, patting him on the chest.

"Oh…yeah, we're supposed to be doing that aren't we?" he said sheepishly. "Guess I was having too much fun."

"That tends to happen to us doesn't it? I think you are a major distraction for me," she said.

"Is that a compliment?"

"If that's how you see it."

He chuckled and then pointed down below to the dark streets. "Come on, let's head on down and see if we stumble into any trouble."

They landed in the deserted streets below and walked a few blocks, keeping their eyes and ears peeled. Maddie kept thinking she saw flashes of something dark in the shadows, but every time she looked there was nothing there. "Hmmm, there doesn't seem to be anything going on," she said.

"Probably because there are so many heroes in town for the Sports Festival," Toshinori said.

"You knew, didn't you? That's why you chose tonight to ask me to help you," she suddenly exclaimed.

"Well I wanted your first time to be easy."

"Ha!" she snorted. "I could have handled it."

A loud crash broke the silence from a block away and an alarm siren started blaring. "Aha! We're in business!" Toshinori shouted excitedly. He shot off towards the noise, realized he was moving much too fast for Maddie, and came catapulting back, picking her up again and taking her with him this time.

"Hey, I can keep up!" she protested, but then thought better of it as she experienced him running at full hero speed.

They arrived at the scene of the crime more quickly than the police, and Toshinori took one glance at the shop that had been broken into before he leapt into action. Maddie followed along behind him, impressed that he knew what to do the instant he saw the situation.

"This is a crime of petty thievery," he explained to her. "It shouldn't be too hard to track the perpetrator down. They tend to flee into the shadows and alleys." He went down the alley behind the shop, listening the whole time. It was dark and quiet. Maddie used her quirk to feel the water around her for vibrations or movement, but everything was still and cool.

"All Might," she whispered, I don't think anyone is here—" she was cut off and her voice turned into a frightened gasp as the alley way was suddenly plunged into pitch blackness. All the lights from the street and surrounding city had seemed to be blacked out. Even the stars weren't shining through the thick black cloud that seemed to have swallowed them. Maddie stumbled about in the dark, unable to even see the hands in front of her face, not daring to make a sound. Was this the work of a villain? She was unprepared for this and had no idea what to do in the situation, so she did the only thing she could think of. She felt for the presence of water and pulled it towards her, ready to form a protective shield around her body with it. Unfortunately, the villain got to her first. She felt the cold steel of a knife to her neck and strong arms wrap themselves around her body, squeezing her tightly.

"Don't move or I'll fucking cut you," the villain whispered ominously into her ear.

Maddie nodded in response and froze, panic creeping up on her as the situation started to feel all too familiar. The night in the darkness all those years ago when she had murdered a man flashed before her eyes and she couldn't stop the trembling in her limbs. She wouldn't do it again, she couldn't, no matter how bad this guy was. He didn't deserve it, no one did, and if she reached out with her power and killed him, then she would be the real monster. She swallowed and tried breathing under his grip. She had to think of another way out of this. _Where was Toshinori?_ Despite everything and the debilitating fear, she still managed to hold onto the water she had summoned, just a few feet away from where she was standing. The villain didn't know what her quirk was, so maybe she could still surprise him, though she was absolutely terrified and wondered if she could even go through with it.

"Listen up, bitch. You're a pretty bad hero to get caught so easily," the dark villain chuckled into her ear. "I know the other hero here is All Might, and I know I don't stand a chance against him if he sees me. So, I'm going to use you. This cloud of darkness won't last much longer, and when it lifts, you will come with me without struggle until I am safely away from All Might. Then maybe, if you've been cooperative, I'll let you go."

Seemed to Maddie like a pretty solid plan, though she didn't like it that much. All Might wouldn't attack the villain if he thought it would endanger her life. She nodded to the villain in frustration. She knew she shouldn't have come. She knew she was just going to get in the way and make things worse! Now she was a hostage! The blackness started to fade and she was able to make out more of the alley way.

"Sapphire!" All Might called out to her. The villain pressed the steel into her neck as a warning to keep quiet, cutting into her skin a little and causing her to bleed. She gritted her teeth. She had to do something! She couldn't just be a pawn to be used. She was better than this!

The blackness had nearly cleared and All Might approached them with caution. He had heard them whispering and he had figured out their general location, but now that he could see again, his heart skipped a beat when he saw the situation Maddie was in. A large man with smoky hair stood in front of him, holding a knife to Maddie's neck as he held her close to his body. He appeared to be the cause of the blackout, and he had used the darkness to take Maddie hostage, probably as a means of escape.

"You're a bold one, villain. Robbing a store while so many pro heroes are in town and taking one of them hostage. But you know you can't possibly win, so why not make this easy on yourself and let her go," All Might commanded in a dangerous voice.

The villain laughed. "You won't dare touch me as long as I have her, so why should I let her go? How about we do it my way?" he sneered and cut Maddie's neck even more. She stifled a whimper at the pain which caused All Might to flinch with anger. "You stay right there and I'll just take little miss Sapphire with me. Then, when I am far away from you, I'll let her go. Deal?" the villain hissed.

All Might growled and clenched his fists. He could easily be on the villain in the blink of an eye, but he needed a distraction or he would risk the villain cutting Maddie's throat. It was then that he caught Maddie's eye and saw the ribbon of water that was floating behind the villain a few feet away. _He didn't know what her quirk was!_

"Very, well. Just go, I'll wait here," All Might said evenly. "Sapphire, it will be all right. I'm going to get you out of this, just trust me," he said looking directly at Maddie with a meaningful look. She looked back at him and nodded shakily, she knew what she had to do.

"You're smarter than you look, meathead," the villain chuckled and started to back away.

"Sapphire! Now!" All Might roared and charged the villain.

Maddie pulled on the water she had been holding with all her power and it jetted forward, coming up behind the villain and knocking him off his feet. He yelled as she used his confusion to dodge out from under his blade twirling around and catching the flow of the water as it reached her to push herself even farther away. The villain yelled angrily, slashing at her with his knife, cutting her temple as she rolled from his grasp, but All Might was there in a flash and hit the villain hard with his fist, sending him flying down the alley and smashing into a wall. The villain tried to get back up and weakly started blacking out the area around himself.

"Oh no you don't!" All Might yelled, leaping after him.

Maddie lay where the water had pushed her down the alley way. Her head spun and blood was trickling into her eyes from the cut on her temple, impairing her vision and causing her to feel light headed. Was she loosing too much blood? Was she going to die? She felt someone drop down beside her and she thrashed out weakly in a panic, thinking the villain had somehow come back, but a calm hand pressed to the side of her head and shushed her quietly. She looked up through her blurry vision and saw familiar wavy black hair and a face covered in bandages, was that Eraserhead?

"Easy, Sapphire. Are you alright?" the quiet hero asked her as he helped her sit up.

"I don't know, I feel so light headed. Have I lost too much blood? Am I going to make it?" she asked wearily.

"If we can stop the bleeding, I think you'll be fine," he said reassuringly, keeping his hand pressed to her head. "Sorry I couldn't get here sooner. You did well."

"All Might needs help," she said weakly, suddenly worried she had left her partner alone with the villain.

"I think he's fine," Eraserhead replied. "I still can't believe he got you mixed up in this."

"It's not his fault, I wasn't fast enough…" she trailed off.

"It was his fault, Sapphire. You shouldn't have been put in that situation in the first place. He's a better hero than that."

Police sirens and flashing lights started approaching and officers were soon pouring on the scene. The flashing lights looked strange to Maddie as they flashed around in her brain. "Maddie!" she heard a familiar deep voice shout and could vaguely make out Toshinori coming rapidly their way.

"Oh shit, that's a lot of blood. Aizawa! Thank god you're here! Is she ok?" the mighty hero asked with concern when he reached Eraserhead who had Maddie propped up and a hand holding pressure on her head.

"It's a head wound so it looks worse than it really is, but the blood does need to be stopped. She's already lightheaded," the eraser hero explained.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have been so overconfident. The villain got the drop on us. She should have never—"

"All Might," Eraserhead snapped, interrupting him, "You need to take her to get medical attention now. There will be time for your excuses later. You're faster, you should take her."

"Can you wrap things up here with the police? The blackout villain is in their custody."

"Of course, now go."

"Thank you, my friend," Toshinori said, clasping him on the arm. He bent and picked up Maddie, then shot straight up into the sky, heading to the closest place he could think of.

 **A/N: Hey guys, thanks for reading as always! Quick note, I will be out of town starting this Saturday and won't be back for a week, so this might be my last post until later this month. So, if I don't get a chance to post again before the holidays, Merry Christmas to you all!**


	9. Closer

Chapter 9: Closer

A loud knock on her door at three in the morning woke Recovery Girl from her sweet slumber. She groggily got out of bed and walked to the door. Not too many people knew where she lived, and at this hour, it must be an emergency. She opened the door to find All Might in hero costume, standing there obviously freaked out, and covered in blood. Only it wasn't his blood. Cradled in his arms was the small form of Sapphire, looking like a pale macabre doll in the hands of the bulky hero. Blood flowed from a large gash on her temple and from another one on her throat, staining her blue hero costume a dark ruddy red.

"Recovery Girl!" All Might said, voice thick with worry. "I need help!"

"Quick, bring her inside," the little nurse said as she ushered the two heroes into her house. "What happened? Why didn't you take her to a hospital?" Recovery Girl questioned as she led them to her bathroom.

"A villain cut her with a knife while we were tracking him down. The hospital was farther away than here, and they'd only make us wait. She needs help now. Look at her, she's almost passed out."

Maddie lifted her head weakly and waved at the old nurse wearing the bathrobe in front of her. "Recovery Girl? You look like you just got out of bed."

"That's because I did, dear. It's three AM."

Maddie looked confused.

"Here, put her down here," Recovery Girl indicated a small chair in the bathroom. Toshinori placed Maddie gently in the chair, standing near her to keep her propped up.

"Now let's see," the nurse said as she inspected the wounds. "this isn't really all that bad. I've seen worse. Mostly superficial."

Maddie jerked back at the woman's touch. "Ouch," she complained.

"Then why is she all woozy and confused?" Toshinori demanded. "it seems like she's lost a lot of blood. Will she need a transfusion or something?"

"Nonsense. It's true she's lost some blood, but she's more likely feeling lightheaded because of the sight of the blood. It's a common occurrence. And look, it's all in her eyes," Recovery Girl tutted. "She'll be fine with some food and rest. Why don't you clean her up and I'll go get my slippers and start some coffee. When you're done, I'll come back and heal the wound properly. It's nicer to have a clean surface to work on, keeps the wound from getting infected." She reached to a cabinet and opened it up, taking out some first aid supplies. While Toshinori watched her, shocked and relieved that Maddie wasn't in any danger.

"It's actually a good thing you brought her here instead of a hospital," Recovery Girl continued. "They have more pressing matters to attend too." She handed him the bandages and antiseptic. "Here, get to work, and clean yourself up too. No sense in getting blood all over my furniture."

She started out the bathroom door, but stopped as she remembered something and turned back around. "Oh, and All Might, do me a favor, shrink down a little will you? You're much too big for my little bathroom in that form. You might break something."

Toshinori coughed up blood in surprise and popped back into his true form, his costume hanging loose on his shoulders. Recovery Girl sighed and shook her head at the mess he had made then left the room, muttering about having to clean up the bathroom again.

The room seemed a lot quieter now that Recovery Girl had left him alone with Maddie. Toshinori tried arranging the various medical supplies on the floor and then sat on the rim of the bathtub next to her. She was leaned back in the chair and had her eyes closed, breathing easily with small amounts of blood still oozing from her head. The bleeding had slowed down as the clotting factors were doing their job, but she was still a bloody mess. Toshinori bent down to wet a piece of gauze with some antiseptic, he was still kicking himself for allowing her to get hurt and for putting her in such a dangerous situation. Sure, they were heroes, they got hurt on the job all of the time. Fellow heroes had been hurt working with him before, but for some reason he couldn't forgive himself for it this time. He had promised nothing would go wrong, that he would be there for her, but he had failed to protect her and, in the end, she had gotten them out of the predicament herself. It hurt him deep, more so than with anyone else.

He brought a shaky hand up to her face and tried to gently wipe away the blood that was congealing around her eyes without waking her up.

"Ow! Son of a bitch!" she yelled, springing up out of the chair and backing away with her hand up to her forehead as soon as he had started wiping the blood with the gauze.

"What what?!" he yelled, startled out of his skin by her abrupt reaction.

Maddie took a second to clear her head and try and figure out where she was, but the pain from the burning liquid on the side of her face was nearly unbearable. "Do you have any water? Quick get some water!" she groaned trying to go for the sink.

"Ok, hold on, I'll get it," he sprang up and quickly doused the gauze rag with water from the sink and then rang it out on the side of her face. "Sorry, sorry," he said gently as he held her head still while he washed the antiseptic off into the sink.

Maddie wiggled and whimpered until the burning started to fade away a little and became more bearable. "Ugh, what the hell did you put on my face," she asked. "Alcohol? That burned like a mother."

"I'm really sorry. Recovery Girl asked me to clean up the blood a little before she healed it. I thought that's what you're supposed to use," he apologized profusely.

"Yeah, but in small quantities and after you've used water first. Could have given me some warning."

"I didn't want to wake you up."

"Well I'm wide awake now!"

"You seem to be doing better," he pointed out. "Earlier you were going pale and seemed really confused. I was very worried about you. Aizawa and I both thought you had lost too much blood. I'm glad you're ok…and I'm really sorry I allowed you to get hurt," he said turning his eyes down to his feet. "I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to work with me again."

"Oh, no, it's ok, I don't blame you for anything," she told him. "If anything, it was my fault," she snorted, "I let that guy get the better of me. I should have been more careful."

"But I promised you I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you. That villain could have killed you and I couldn't do anything to stop him!" Toshinori exclaimed and threw the gauze rag down on the floor.

Maddie raised an eyebrow at his outburst. "Now that's unsanitary."

Toshinori looked up to see the amusement in her eyes at his tantrum and he started to chuckle. "Don't worry, I have more."

"Hopefully not covered in alcohol," she said and then turned to look at her face in the mirror while Toshinori took a few shaky breaths to calm down. "Wow, the bastard really cut me good, huh?" she observed, flinching with a pained hiss as she tapped on the gashes.

"Yeah," Toshinori snorted, sitting back down on the edge of the tub and putting his face in his hands. "I still can't forgive myself for this. I guess I'm not the best at hero work anymore. I got too cocky, didn't take the precautions I should have taken."

"Hey," she said, walking back over to the chair and sitting down next to him. "Would it help if I forgive you? Because I do. You can't be prepared for everything, no matter how good you are. Now, are you going to finish cleaning up my face?"

He nodded and wet a clean gauze pad with water before gently rubbing it on the side of her face and temple. She winced when he moved to the actual wound, but it wasn't as bad as the alcohol had been. She noticed his face still looked a little solemn as he was able to see the wounds on her head and neck more clearly. "Hey, just smile, right? It makes everything better," she tried cheering him up.

"Right," he said with a goofy smile.

"That's more like the Muscles I know," she said with a soft laugh. "Where are we anyway?" she asked after letting her attention wander the small bathroom.

"Uh, Recovery Girl's house. It was the closest place I could think of," he answered.

"I don't remember much after I got free of that villain, did you get him?"

"Oh, yeah, I left Eraser with the police to wrap things up."

"Well that's good then," she said with some relief, then added, "Thanks for pushing me out of my comfort zone tonight. I really appreciate it, and I had fun. You're right, you know. I'm afraid to use my quirk sometimes and I make up excuses not to use it. It holds me back. I guess you helped me feel more confident about it, so, thanks."

"You helped me too you know, thought I'd repay the favor," he said, thinking back on the seashell she had given him.

"Is that all it was," she said softly. "Just returning the favor?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she hadn't said them. She had told herself she wasn't going to flirt with him! What was she thinking?! But he was so near to her and vulnerable, gently wiping the caked blood from her face. His eyes shot up to hers at her words, searching for the hidden meaning behind the question.

"No, that's not all it was," he replied. "I do care about you and I want you to be happy." He put the gauze down and lifted a hand to the side of her face, brushing the hair back from her wound, taking a chance on the unsaid words he saw in her eyes. Her cheeks heated up at his touch and she hoped he couldn't hear her heart pounding in her chest. Their eyes were locked together, she couldn't look anywhere else but into the bright blue irises in front of her. He was so close…he was leaning even closer. Maddie knew she wouldn't have the strength to stop him, in fact, a part of her burned for it to happen…

"Sorry that took so long," Recovery Girl announced, coming around the corner. Toshinori jumped back from Maddie so fast he nearly fell off his seat. "Did you get her all cleaned up—oh, hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

"No, no, nothing you're fine. I'm ready for you to heal this gash up now," Maddie said as quickly as possible with her hands on her cheeks trying to cover up the blush. What had just happened? Had he just tried to kiss her? She glanced his way quickly and saw that he had suddenly become very interested in the sink faucets, avoiding her and Recovery Girls' eyes.

"Ah, Sapphire, you look so much better!" Recovery Girl said happily, approaching and inspecting her face and neck. "Good job, All Might."

"Mmmhmm," Toshinori mumbled and fiddled with his hands. "I'll just, uh, go outside and let you finish up here," he said, standing and moving towards the door.

"All right then, ready for a kiss, Sapphire?" Recovery Girl asked.

"Wait what?" Maddie exclaimed as a shivering pang ran through her body at the question, her mind still obviously swirling with what had just happened between her and Toshinori.

"You know the drill," Recovery Girl said.

"Oh, yes, I'm ready," Maddie said with some relief as she realized Recovery Girl had meant she needed to kiss Maddie's gashes to heal them with her quirk.

The school nurse leaned over and gave Maddie a kiss on her forehead and she immediately felt her skin stitching itself back together. "There you go, all done. Now, let's go have some coffee and snacks to get your blood sugar back up. I've got it all prepared. I'll need your help at the festival tomorrow, so I want you to eat plenty and get as much rest as you can."

Maddie followed Recovery Girl out to the dining area of her house, smelling the hot brewing coffee and feeling more relaxed…until she saw Toshinori sitting on the couch with a cup already in hand. Her nerves immediately came back and she had to force herself to remain calm. It was a strange way to feel. She wished she could have time to think her way through it, but right now he flooded her mind, messing with her logic. On one hand she wanted to be near him, to sit next to him and lean into his warmth again. On the other hand, she wanted to be reasonable and professional. He was a coworker and the most popular and well-loved hero in the world, she couldn't be with him. So, she resorted to standing awkwardly in the middle of the room with a hot cup of coffee until Recovery Girl came in with a tray of food and forced her to take a seat in one of her comfortable arm chairs.

"Eat up, I have some chocolates here, Sapphire, I know you love those," Recovery Girl said sitting back into a chair and propping her feet up. "Now, hear me out, I have an idea. Sapphire, why don't you stay here for the night so I can keep an eye on you? We can wash your costume and then you can just go to the sports festival tomorrow with me."

"That would be fine, but what about Jack?" Maddie asked.

"I can take care of him in the morning if you're alright with that," Toshinori offered. "I think it would be good if you stayed the night with Recovery Girl." He hoped she would agree to the offer. Not only would he feel better knowing she wasn't alone, he really hadn't been looking forward to taking her home that night. He didn't think he could handle doing anything else embarrassing around her before he had time to sort out his feelings. He knew she knew that he had almost kissed her. He had to think of a way to play it off like it wasn't a big deal so she wouldn't start avoiding him again. He didn't want to push her away so soon when they were actually starting to connect on a deeper level. Then again…she hadn't stopped him. It would have happened if Recovery Girl hadn't walked in. He didn't know whether to be grateful or disappointed.

"Alright, only if it's no trouble," Maddie said, looking at him for the first time after the bathroom incident. "Thank you."

"No trouble at all, he's a great dog," Toshinori replied awkwardly.

"Wonderful," Recovery Girl said. "Sapphire, you can wear one of my robes while we put your costume through the wash. They will be a little small on you though, but you should really get some rest. So, All Might, I think you should go home now."

"Right," Toshinori said, springing up and placing the coffee cup on a table. "Um, thanks for the coffee and taking care of Sapphire."

"You're welcome, have a good night," Recovery Girl replied.

Toshinori made his way to the front door, but Maddie sprang after him, she couldn't let him leave like this, it was too strange. "Toshi, wait!" she said catching him at the door.

"Oh dear," Recovery Girl mumbled to herself and then went to find Maddie something to wear. "What a very interesting night."

Toshinori turned to face Maddie as she awkwardly stepped in front of him, not sure what she wanted to say now that she had his attention. "I…"

"Hey, how about we talk some more tomorrow at the festival? You should go get as much rest as you can now," Toshinori suggested.

"Alright, goodnight then," Maddie agreed, somewhat dejectedly. _Why was she so bad at this?_

"Goodnight, Bubbles," Toshinori replied, and before he thought better of it, he leaned over and kissed her on top of her head gently, leaving her wide eyed as he walked out into the early morning darkness.

Maddie watched him leave and closed the door. Her heart was on a rollercoaster.

The next morning Maddie woke up on Recovery Girl's couch, slightly confused as to where she was for a moment, and then she saw the little nurse puttering around in the kitchen. She got up off the couch, wondering if her suit was dry yet. The robe was a little revealing since it didn't really go far enough down her legs. "Good morning, dear," Recovery Girl said as she walked in with breakfast.

"Thank you," Maddie said gratefully. "You should have woken me up, I could have helped you."

"Nonsense, you needed all the rest you could get. I really don't know what you were thinking, galivanting around last night with All Might and getting injured right before the Sports Festival. Now, let me see your color," Recovery Girl said, grabbing Maddie's face. "You look much better today, but make sure you eat something."

"Thanks again for everything, I'm really sorry I woke you up last night so late. I feel really bad about the whole thing. You're right, I should have thought things through more carefully. For some reason, when it comes to All Might, I just become so much more spontaneous and I start doing things without thinking," Maddie apologized.

"It's fine, really. The older you get the less you sleep," Recovery Girl chuckled. "You two gave me quite the entertaining evening. Now, I've laid out your hero costume in the bathroom. When you're done eating you can go shower and change out of that robe. My, my, it really is too short for you, I can see everything you've got going on," the nurse observed with raised eyebrows. "It's a good thing All Might left when he did, who knows what might have happened if he had seen you in that!"

"Recovery Girl!" Maddie gasped with a blush.

"What? At my age I've been around the block a few times, I know what I saw going on between you two last night," Recovery Girl shrugged.

"It's not like…" Maddie protested, then trailed off and sighed instead. "I don't even know what was going on between us. I don't even know if I want to know. Have any sage advice?"

"All I can say is that you'll probably find out sooner or later, and…don't be afraid to take a chance."

Maddie frowned into her coffee. "Right, thanks. Maybe don't mention this to anyone, if you wouldn't mind. I don't want to be teased even more by Midnight."

"You should also stop worrying about what other people are saying or thinking and just do what makes you happy," Recovery Girl pointed out. "But I won't say anything. Now go get ready, the festival is an event you don't want to miss."

Maddie nodded, taking the words Recovery Girl had said with her to the hot shower.

 **A/N: I'm back! Love these reviews everyone, thank you! Happy 2019!**


	10. A Festival of Confusion

Chapter 10: A Festival of Confusion

The Sports Festival was alive and bursting with colors and people as Maddie and Recovery Girl arrived on scene. Fireworks were shooting off high into the sky and there were lines of vendors selling wares and food outside the arenas. Maddie could see many of the popular pro heroes standing around outside the gates as well as many UA students dashing about here and there. She could hear Mic's voice already up and loud over the announcement speakers, and thought she heard Eraser's voice alongside him. Funny how he had warned _her_ about getting roped into one of Mic's schemes, and there he was, roped into one of Mic's schemes. She also wondered what the eraser hero was doing up last night and this morning when he was still clearly injured. Maybe he was feeling better?

Recovery Girl ushered her to the arena's infirmary where they could plan out their day before the injuries started rolling in. "Now, the students go all out in this competition and they don't hold back on each other. It's all about getting noticed by the sponsors and hero teams, so be prepared for injuries. You and I will be standing by on the sidelines to rush into action over anything serious, but we won't interfere unless the judges allow it, remember that. No matter how beat up a student gets, stay out of the competition until they are brought to you." Maddie nodded, thinking about poor Midoriya. He still hadn't got a good handle on his quirk. She expected injuries from him for sure.

"But for now," Recovery Girl added, "Go enjoy the festival. I'm sure All Might is already here, he's probably up in the teacher's box so he won't be noticed. Maybe you should go find him and ask how your dog did this morning."

"Yeah guess I should," Maddie said with a nervous swallow. "I'll see you later."

She made her way outside to the large arena where the festival was being held. It sounded like the first years were about to be announced. They would be competing first today and everyone was waiting with anticipation to see the new students. They had become very popular since the news got out that they had fought real villains at the USJ, and everyone couldn't wait to see their quirks. She had students in all the grades and classes at the schools, but she had to admit, she was excited to watch the first years in action as well.

When she reached the seating area for the teachers up high in the rafters, she immediately saw the scruffy golden hair of Toshinori seated by himself and watching the activities below. She took a deep breath to boost her confidence, told herself they were just friends and nothing romantic was going on between them at all, and then marched herself over to him and plopped into the seat beside him before she chickened out.

"Oh, good morning, Maddie, feeling better?" Toshinori asked, glancing at her as she sat, sounding perfectly normal with an even tone. He wore a nice dark suit and red tie, which made sense, as he didn't look like the traditional All Might at this point. If one of the many cameras caught him on film he would just look like a thin scruffy man in a suit.

"Hey, Toshinori, yeah I'm feeling better. I just came over to see how Jack did for you this morning," she said wondering why, despite her preparations, she still sounded breathy and rushed when she had spoken and her heart still started to beat faster.

"He was great, ate his food and I took him for a walk around your complex. I went really early though so I hope none of your neighbors saw me."

"Well, thank you so much. I didn't get too much sleep last night but certainly more than I would have if I had to go home and take care of Jack." The friendly unassuming conversation they were having was starting to calm her down and put her in a more comfortable mood. Maybe if they both just forgot about last night, pretended it hadn't even happened, they could just move forward like normal.

"It was no trouble at all, and I'm glad you're doing better. You wouldn't even know you were bleeding out in my arms just a few hours ago from the look of you now. Speaking of that, I have something for you," he said, reaching into the seat next to him.

And now things were suddenly getting awkward again. "Uh, what?" she asked.

"I was just walking down the street this morning after I let Jack out and I saw something I thought you might like in a store, so I got it for you…as an apology gift," he said, handing her a bar of chocolate with a little red bow tied around it.

She took it cautiously and saw it was very nice type of chocolate imported from Europe. _Alright, what type of gift was this? Was it of the "love" variety or was it more of a "letting you down nicely" type of gift?_ She eyed it suspiciously before saying, "Thank you, you really didn't have to get me this, I don't understand why. You already took my dog out for me and everything."

"I just want you to know that I am very sorry for _everything_ that happened last night. I don't want to push you away or lose you as a friend. I don't want you to be nervous being around me, I really enjoyed the easygoing thing we had between us. I'll always be there if you need me, and I'm sorry if I jeopardized that," he said calmly and taking a large breath after the apology.

"Ok, yeah, I get it, it's fine. Apology accepted," she said with a forced smile and as evenly and nonchalant as she could, but the small piece of her inside that had yearned to be closer to him was suddenly squelched with a pang of disappointment. This was what she wanted right? Then why did she feel so hurt all of the sudden? "Here," she said, trying to bury the emotions with small talk and actions, and breaking the chocolate bar in two. "Want half?"

"Sure," he said, taking it from her and watching her as she avoided his eyes and stared out onto the field, thinking over what he had said. He glanced down at the chocolate and sighed. He hadn't wanted to say any of it too her at all, in fact, his heart felt the exact opposite. Sitting there watching her accept his words so easily and carefree nearly broke him. He tried to cheer himself up, knowing she was happy now that he had backed off and that he could at least be her friend if nothing else. With a heavy heart, he accepted that things would just go back to normal now. He couldn't really blame her, who would want to be with a washed-up old hero like himself anyways.

The rest of the teachers started to arrive and take seats around Toshinori and Maddie. Thirteen sat down on the other side of Toshinori and Maddie waved a happy hello to the rescue hero. Present Mic announced that the first years would be starting the first competition and the group of students made their way out onto the field. "Look! There they are!" Maddie exclaimed excitedly.

Toshinori focused his attention on the students below and pushed all the depressing thoughts to the back of his mind. He had to be there to support Midoriya. He needed to stop getting distracted and keep his head in the game. He had put so much on young Midoriya and had told the boy to make his mark and show the world who he was during this festival, the least he could do was give him his full attention. Midnight was introduced to the spectators as Chief Umpire and then called the first year class representative up to the stage to make the student pledge. Bakugo approached the microphone and paused before simply saying, "I just wanna say, I'm gonna win."

The crowd was shocked and the students, especially Tenya Iida were appalled and started booing Bakugo. Maddie's adorable little snort of amusement caused Toshinori to shudder. _Stop it_ , he growled to himself. _Just focus on the festival!_

"That's just like him isn't it?" Maddie commented. "And I wouldn't be surprised if he wins this thing either. Bakugo's a real fighter, despite his bad temper."

Toshinori nodded in response, trying to ease into a friendly conversation with her. "We'll have to see who comes out in the lead in the first competition."

"Do you think Midoriya has a good chance?"

"He's got more than a chance," Toshinori affirmed, eagerly waiting to see how Modiriya would perform.

Midnight announced the first competition, an obstacle race, four kilometers around the outside of the stadium. The first years got ready at the starting line, taking off at the signal and battling their way out onto the course. Todoroki pulled away from the pack early with a giant icy blast, freezing the next obstacle, giant robots, in place and taking a huge lead. A few others were not too far behind, taking advantage of the situation with their quirks. Maddie's eyes focused on the kids getting hammered by the giant robots in the back, she was sure she would be called into action soon enough, but for now she was in complete amazement at the young student's skills.

"Wow! Look at Todoroki go! Amazing! And the rest of class 1A too!" she exclaimed in excitement.

"It looks like all the pack leaders are from class 1A, at least for now," Snipe pointed out.

"It's not that 1B and the other students are doing poorly. It's just…class 1A has learned not to hesitate," Toshinori observed. He watched Midoriya avoid some robots and pick up a piece of metal to smash them with. _You don't have to come in first, just get to the next round!_

The teachers and the whole stadium were on the edge of their seats as the first years approached the last obstacle, a mine field. They immediately began crossing. The front runners, Todoroki and Bakugo, started slowing down due to the complexity of avoiding the mines. This gave Midoriya his chance, and before anyone knew what was happening, the young boy had collected a pile of mines and slammed the metal piece he was carrying down on them, blasting himself up into the air with it and quickly overtaking the other students.

Toshinori leapt up in his seat, throwing his fists in the air and shouting, "Yes!" As Midoriya approached Todoroki and Bakugo, slamming the metal piece down again and creating another explosion that sent him careening past the two boys. He started to run for the finish line with all his might once he hit the ground again. Todoroki and Bakugo sped after him, intensity and strain on their faces, they couldn't believe Midoriya had come out of nowhere and now held first place. As hard as they pushed, they could not overcome him, and Midoriya burst back into the stadium first. He had won!

The stadium crowd went wild and cheered like crazy as Midoriya stood in the middle of the arena, still not believing that he had actually won. "Midoriya! Woohoo! Yes! You go boy!" Maddie yelled at the top of her lungs, springing up in her seat and clapping wildly for the young student. "After Todoroki I did not see that coming! Awesome!" She glanced towards Toshinori to share her excitement with him, but he didn't even notice her. His eyes were locked on Midoriya and he was sitting up straight and tall with a big smile on his face, bursting with pride for his student. She could literally feel the admiration pouring off of him as he clapped, it was so sweet how much he cared for that boy and it brought a tear to her eye as she beamed at him.

"He's a fighter after all," Toshinori said when he finally looked her way. I thought he might hold back in the competition because of his compassion and willingness to help others, but he pushed through and made it out on top!"

Maddie smiled and clapped along with him as Midoriya started to cry with happiness down in the ring. "I do wish he wouldn't cry so much, though," Toshinori added.

The scores came up on the board, showing the students who had placed high enough to make it to the next round of the games. Midnight soon took center stage again and announced that the next game would be a Calvary Battle and explained the rules. Since Midoriya had won first place in the race, he was worth the most points at one million. Maddie frowned as all eyes turned to him. Capture his head band and you basically already won the game. This was going to be a hard fight for him. Unfortunately, she had gotten word Recovery Girl needed her to help with the bumps and scrapes that the students who had not made it all the way through the obstacle course had acquired, so she had to leave the stands.

"I've got to go help Recovery Girl in the infirmary, let me know how this turns out alright?" she said to Toshinori, getting up out of her seat.

"Oh, alright, good luck," Toshinori said, giving her a thumbs up.

Maddie left the arena and made it to where Recovery Girl had set up her temporary office for the event. There were only a few students in the waiting area with some scrapes from battling the robots on the obstacle course, but they were still students of UA and they all received the attention they needed. Maddie watched the cavalry battle on the monitor Recovery Girl had set up in the office as she gently healed and bandaged the scuffed up students. Now she wouldn't really need to ask Toshinori how the game went, she could watch it for herself right here.

Midoriya's team was the one to watch as they zipped and zoomed around the battle field, trying to avoid being caught by the other teams. They worked hard, and in the end, after a vicious showdown between Midoriya, Todoroki, and Bakugo, the match was over. Todoroki's team had won first place, managing to snatch Midoriya's head band in a daring move. Bakugo's team had won second place and the young spikey haired student sat on the ground, fuming that he hadn't won first. A general studies student named Shinso had won third place with his team. Maddie had him in class and always thought there was something unsettling about the boy, but he was still a good student and worked hard. Finally, in fourth place was Midoriya's team. Tokayami had managed to snatch a head band while no one was looking and helped bump the team back into the winning bracket. The four teams would move on to the last challenge. Maddie was very proud of them all and they were so impressive, but she couldn't help but secretly root for Midoriya. Perhaps it was because of his obvious connection to Toshinori, but probably because he was just a wonderful person and student who always pushed himself to be the best hero he could. He deserved to win this thing, and she hoped he would at least come close to winning if nothing else.

After the cavalry battle, lunch break was called and Recovery Girl sent Maddie off to grab some food. "Want anything?" Maddie asked her before heading out.

"No, I'm fine, I brought my own lunch," the nurse replied. "Just remember, after lunch and a few more games the battle round starts with each of the remaining students competing against one another. There will be many more serious injuries that I'll certainly need help with."

"I'll be there," Maddie said and made her way out to find some food from the vendors at the festival.

The vendor stalls were packed with people all lining up to purchase food and drink from a variety of options. Maddie browsed and ended up buying a few things, but with the excitement of the festival and the half a chocolate bar she had already eaten earlier, she wasn't really that hungry. She wondered where Toshinori might be and decided to go back to the stands to see if she could find him or anyone else she knew. As she was walking that way, her gaze was constantly drawn to what was going on around her, and she wasn't really looking where she was going, which lead to her tripping over a stadium step and bumping into something very solid and very hot. She yelped at the heat and instinctively threw up a splash of water between her and the heat source, which resulted in a steamy cloud and a grunt of surprise from the hot solid object she had ran into.

"Watch it!" a deep dangerous voice growled, and when the steam finally cleared, she saw the owner of the voice and took a step back in surprise. Standing in front of her was a tall muscled man, though not as tall and muscled as All Might, but what was most striking about his appearance were the flames burning and leaping from is body. His entire face was framed in flames as well, coming from around his eyes like a fiery mask and from his eyebrows and chin. No wonder so much steam had formed when her weak water wall had contacted his ferocious flaming body.

"Sorry," she said quickly, not wanting to offend this terrifying man. "I wasn't looking where I was going, I'm very sorry."

"It's no matter," he waved her off, "Your water quirk hardly touched me before it was vaporized. Wait a minute, are you the new UA teacher I've heard about?" he said suddenly mildly interested in her.

"Yes sir," she replied, "My name is Sapphire. I teach science and assist the nurse at the school. I'm afraid I don't know your name?"

"You seriously don't know who I am?" the big man scoffed. "Well, it figures. Judging from your tacky accent you must be from the United States. My name is Endeavor, the number two hero." He said the last few words with an unhappy growl.

"Oh, yes I've heard of you! Wow, nice to meet you, sir. You're Shoto Todoroki's father, correct? He is doing so well in the tournament, you must be proud of him," Maddie said, trying to be friendly despite the obvious insult he had just dealt her.

"Hmm, well he better be. I've put a lot of time and effort into making him what he is," Endeavor replied. He looked at Maddie, eyes scanning over her body, studying her with a sudden interest. "You have a water quirk then, hmm? Is it powerful?"

Maddie flinched a little under the man's gaze, he certainly wasn't very subtle and had obviously just been undressing her with his eyes. "It's called water manipulation. It's pretty powerful, but I hardly use it for fighting. I'm a support hero."

"Well from the police reports last night I'd say you weren't _just_ a support hero, Ms. Sapphire. Didn't you help All Might take a dangerous villain down?"

"You know about that?" she said nervously. _Who else had access to those records?_ "I didn't really do much and I got injured in the process. Like I said, I'm more experienced in support work."

"Maybe you just haven't had the right teacher," he grinned. "You should come down to my agency sometime. I can show you a better time than All Might could. We could even have a little test of strength of our own, water versus flame, complete opposites."

"Don't you think ice is more of an opposite?"

"Depends on how you look at it." He leaned closer to her and she could feel the heat of the flames coming off his body even from this distance. He certainly was a powerful hero, and rather handsome and somewhat charming too, but something about him set off alarm bells inside her head.

"Well, I'll certainly think about it, though right now I should head back to the stands. I think they're about to announce the next challenge round," she said, trying to ease away.

"What's the rush? They're just doing the ridiculous side games right now. Maybe we should talk some more," the flame hero said, taking a step to block her path.

"Oho, how nice of you to offer," Maddie replied with more nervousness in her voice. "But I really should go and find All Might, he told me he'd let me know how the last challenge went since I was in the nurse's office."

"All Might?" Endeavor scoffed again. "So, are you one of his many fans?"

"I'm one of his _friends,"_ she replied, trying once again to dodge Endeavor, but the flaming hero was now much too interested in her to let her go so easily, especially now that he had learned she had a connection to his biggest rival.

"You should rethink that friendship, you could get a lot farther with me," he pressed, "Even as a support hero."

"Thanks for the offer, but I really like my job," she tried to continue being polite, he was a famous hero after all, even if he was being a bit pushy she shouldn't be rude. Thankfully, Present Mic's voice boomed over the festival, announcing that the final challenge was about to begin and giving her a good excuse to get away from Endeavor. "I really should be going now. As assistant to the nurse I need to watch these matches for injuries."

"Very well. Think about my offer, maybe I'll see you around," Endeavor answered, standing aside and letting her pass.

"Thank you, and good luck to your son," Maddie said in parting before scampering away to the teacher's box. She let out a sigh of relief once she was far enough away from Endeavor. That had certainly been an intense conversation. She had to admit, his offer to possibly work for his agency had been tempting, but she knew she would never do it. She really did like her job teaching and she liked working with the staff at UA. Besides, she was done working for arrogant heroes. She'd had her fair share of that in her younger years.

Upon entering the stands, she saw that Toshinori had just arrived as well and was sitting down in his seat. "Hi," she said in greeting. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, just giving Midoriya a pep talk. He's up first to fight this round," Toshinori said. "How about you? How were the injured students?"

"They were fine mostly. Minor wounds. But you will not believe who I just had the pleasure of talking too," Maddie said as Cementoss was finishing up the arena in the field below for the students to fight in.

"And who would that be?" Toshinori asked.

"The number two hero, Endeavor."

"Really? I had a talk with him earlier too. I hadn't spoken to him in years. I hope he was more pleasant with you than he was with me," Toshinori said. "I guess he's never really liked me that much."

"Oh, he was very interested in me. Even asked me to consider joining his agency. Haha, imagine that right?" Maddie chuckled.

"What?!" Toshinori exclaimed, actually sounding upset. He thought back to what Endeavor had said to him about "making" young Todoroki into what he was and was already suspicious of the man's motives.

"Yeah, but it's alright, I'm not going to leave UA. You don't have to get all upset about it," Maddie said, slightly taken aback by his tone. "He seemed nice enough, he was just a little pushy."

"Sorry, just be careful around him. He may seem nice and he does good work as a hero, but he usually isn't interested in anything that wouldn't benefit him in the long run. He probably just wants to use you and your quirk to his own gain," Toshinori explained.

"I don't think I've ever heard you speak negatively about anyone like that before," Maddie said, still surprised.

"He just said something to me that made me feel uneasy, about his son. He just wants the number one spot, even if he has to use Shoto to get it. My advice would be to not get too close to him."

"I think I can handle Endeavor. Besides, he's right, it could be fun to see which of us would win in a fight. Fire versus water," Maddie suggested pumping her fists.

Toshinori frowned at that, feeling jealousy rear its ugly head inside his chest. The only thing was, he had no right to be jealous. She was a grown woman who could make her own choices and he was simply her friend. He shook his head in frustration. He couldn't let himself dwell on this sort of thing right now. Midoriya was counting on his support. Maybe the best thing for him to do right now would be to remove himself from the situation. He was not interested in discussing Endeavor with Maddie right now.

"I think I better go watch Midoriya's fight from the sidelines. He might need me out there," he said standing up and moving towards the back steps.

"Toshi? I'm sorry did I say something that upset you?" Maddie asked with concern.

"No, I should just really be focusing on Midoriya," Toshinori replied with a smile. "Besides, there's really no dispute, Endeavor would kick your butt no problem."

"Hey! I thought friends were supposed to support one another," Maddie fake pouted.

"They're also not supposed to lie to one another either, right?" Toshinori smiled and then left her with that as he made his way down to the arena.

Once the fighting arena was prepared, Present Mic announced the first fight with a gusto that only he could provide. Midoriya from class 1A versus Shinso from general studies. The rules were simple, anything goes, and to win all you had to do was push your opponent out of the ring or immobilize them. Cementoss and Midnight stood by on the sidelines in order to intervene if anything went too far.

"Bring on the injuries because we have our very own Recovery Girl on standby as well as her new assistant and newest addition to the UA faculty, Sapphire!" Present Mic shouted out. A picture of Maddie smiling in her hero costume was projected onto the big screen along with his words. _Well, now the world knew who she was._

Midoriya and Shinso stepped out onto the arena and faced each other. As soon as Midoriya spoke, it seemed like he froze, and the crowd watched in amazement as he slowly turned and started to walk towards the edge of the arena and out of bounds. _This must be Shinso's quirk at work. Why would Midoriya just forfeit the match?_ Maddie thought. This match was going to be over with as soon as it begun. She felt bad for Toshinori. He had so much hope in Midoriya. Amazingly, however, Midoriya expelled a large amount of power, breaking two of his fingers on his left hand, and was able to snap out of Shinso's brainwashing. He walked back into the ring and fought Shinso out of bounds, throwing his opponent out of the ring just barely. Midnight announced Midoryia as the winner and the two boys left the arena with the crowd going wild for both of them. Sure, the match had been a little dull, but it had been well fought.

More fights between the students followed the first one, and Maddie soon found herself heading to Recovery Girl's temporary nurse office to help with the injured Sero, Aoyama, and Ururaka. Midoriya was not in the nurse's office when she arrived and neither was Toshinori, so she assumed Recovery Girl had made quick work of his broken fingers and sent him on his way. He was up against Todoroki next after all, and judging by that boy's amazing quirk, it would not be an easy fight.

When the fight was announced, Maddie left Recovery Girl to go keep an eye on Midoriya and Todoroki. She had a bad feeling about this fight and wanted to be nearby when it happened. Toshinori apparently did too, since he was back seated in his chair when she arrived in the stands. She sat down next to him, watching his eyes glance to her and then look away. She could tell he was still slightly upset about something, and she hoped it wasn't her.

"How's Midoriya doing?" she asked him.

"He's nervous and a little unsure of himself, but he's made it this far. I know he'll be alright, no matter what happens," Toshinori replied.

"I think so too," she said. "You really care about him, don't you? You really believe in him."

"Yes, I do."

Present Mic introduced the competitors and Toshinori leaned forward expectantly. Rescue hero Thirteen, sitting on the thin man's other side, observed, "Oh right, those two students tried to save you at the USJ, didn't they?"

"Yeah, they may have more in common than they realize. They both have such an intense vibe about them," Toshinori said.

Out in the arena, the teachers watched as Midoriya charged Todoroki immediately and then blocked his ice attack by breaking another finger. The fight went on and on in this way, Todoroki blasting Midoriya with ice and Midoriya slowly using all of his fingers and fists to block the attacks. From the looks of things, it seemed like Midoriya was only blocking the attacks and egging Todoroki on, like he was trying to push the bi-colored hair boy into using his full power. Toshinori sat rigid next to Maddie, completely engrossed in the fight with clenched fists and sweat beading on his face in concern.

Eventually Todoroki started to ice up and his movements slowed, enabling Modoriya to land a solid punch to Todoroki's stomach, sending him flying backwards. Despite his progress, Maddie could see how bad Midoriya's injuries really were. He was destroying himself and he probably didn't even know it! She looked to Cementoss and Midnight refereeing the fight. Shouldn't they put a stop to this? Midoriya was causing himself a great amount of damage and pain. Both of his arms were screwed up but he kept on fighting.

The fight kept going with no one intervening until, finally, Midoriya said something to make Todoroki burst into flame on his left side, using his full power. Toshinori had a knowing look on his face. Despite the way it looked, he could tell Midoriya had been trying to help young Todoroki face his true self and use his full power. He sat in silent admiration of his young protégé who thought only of helping others while the crowd around him gasped and Maddie nearly leapt up from her chair. Across the stadium, Endeavor was shouting excitedly that his son was using his flame side. The air was intense and bursting with emotion.

Midoriya smiled fiercely at his flaming opponent and charged at the same time Todoroki did. Cementoss tried to throw up a wall between the two students as they collided with all their strength, but the end result was a shock wave of force as they hit the wall and each other, blowing the referees off their feet and causing an explosion that decimated the arena. Stadium fans and students alike were blown back by the force of the shock wave and a thick cloud of dust and debris clouded everyone's vision.

When the steam from the explosion finally dissipated, Midoriya could be seen slumped against the far stadium wall, way outside of the ring. He fell forward onto the ground and Midnight announced, "There, Midoriya is out of bounds, Todoroki wins! He advances to the fourth round!"

The crowd cheered and Todoroki stood in the arena, half his jacket burned off and panting heavily. "Oh no! Modoriya!" Maddie yelled and catapulted herself over the balcony railing of the teacher's box, catching herself with her water quirk to get down to the arena floor quickly. Toshinori left the stands quickly as well, making his way to Recovery Girl at top speed once he saw Maddie was attending to Midoriya.

Maddie reached the battered young student's side and turned him over on his back, assessing his damages and trying to ease his pain with her water healing. She wasn't strong enough for these types of injuries. "Someone please get Recovery Girl right away!" she shouted as Midoriya moaned in pain in her arms.

The old nurse showed up in record time and had Cementoss lift Midoriya up and take him to the infirmary. "Oh, this is not good. He's pushed too far this time," Recovery Girl muttered. She turned to Maddie who was trying to follow and held her back. "Sapphire, please go check on Todoroki. I'll take Midoriya to the infirmary and take a detailed look at his damages. This is beyond your healing capabilities, but I'll call you if I need assistance."

"But I can still help—" Maddie protested, but Recovery Girl cut her off.

"No, please, I can't be everywhere at once and Todoroki needs some care as well. Just do as I ask. Midoriya will be fine and in good hands," the little nurse said.

"Ok then," Maddie relented. "Call me right away when you need me."

Maddie watched as Recovery Girl and Cementoss took Midoriya away. Present Mic called for a recess from the competition until the arena could be repaired, and Maddie took Todoroki to the side and helped clean up his scrapes and used her quirk to heal him. He was basically fine, just a little shook up and seemed to be very deep in thought. "You alright, Todoroki?" Maddie asked him.

"Yes, thank you, I'm fine Ms. Sapphire," he said getting up and making his way to the student waiting area. Maddie watched him go with some concern, but then made her way to Recovery Girl's temporary office to see if she needed help with Midoriya yet.

It turned out that Midoriya had shattered some bones in his hand that needed to be surgically removed before Recovery Girl could heal him. Maddie stayed to help with the surgery, and when they were done, Maddie went to let Toshinori know while Recovery Girl finished waking Midoriya up and gave him one last healing kiss so he could continue to watch the festival.

Maddie and Toshinori walked back into the recovery room as Recovery Girl was talking to Midoriya. "That's what you get for over using your quirk in such a short time frame. Consider your crooked right hand as a warning," Recovery Girl was saying as Maddie ushered Toshinori into the room. "And just so you know, I won't heal injuries like this anymore." She looked towards Toshinori, "You must find a new way for him to use his power. There has to be an option that's not so self-destructive."

Midoriya and Toshinori looked worried at her words and Maddie again felt slightly out of the loop, like there was something deeper going on here that she didn't know. That nagging feeling that All Might and Midoriya were more connected than they were letting on kept popping back up in her mind.

"I'd like to talk to Midoriya for a bit. Mind if I walk him back to the stadium?" Toshinori asked.

"That's fine. Sapphire and I will clean up here," Recovery Girl answered.

"Ok, see you later," Maddie said.

After the cleanup, Maddie went back to watch the rest of the festival, which basically consisted of Todoroki and Bakugo duking it out in an even more ferocious fight than the one between Todoroki and Midoriya. The only difference was, though, that Todoroki seemed to have had the fire knocked out of him by Midoriya, and he refused yet again to use his flames on Bakugo, making the explosive boy raging mad. Bakugo won the fight, but Midnight had to end up knocking him out with her quirk because he was so mad about how he had won and wouldn't accept it, putting a passed-out Todoroki in danger. Maddie guessed there must be something going on between Todoroki and his father that was making the boy refuse to use his flame side. Midoriya had gotten it out of him, but it hadn't lasted very long. Toshinori had not come back to the teacher seats for the final fight. Maddie wondered where he had gone.

The Sports Festival for the first years had finally come to an end as Midnight announced the awards ceremony. What a long and interesting day it had been. Only here at UA would Maddie ever have experienced something like this. Fireworks and confetti sparked and rained in the sky above the stadium as the three winners from the first year class emerged onto the field, standing on podiums of varying heights. Bakugo had won first place, and was not happy about it as the chains and mouth gag made evident. Todoroki won second place, and Tokoyami shared the third place prize with Iida who had to leave due to a family matter and could not accept the award with him.

Midnight took center stage and announced, "Now, let's break out the hardware! Of course, there's only one person worthy of distributing the awards!"

As she finished speaking, a loud boisterous laugh resounded around the stadium and everyone looked up to see All Might, fully powered up and in hero costume, standing at the very top of the building with his big signature smile. "Citizens, I am here!" he announced, leaping off the top of the stadium and performing a complicated flip before landing hard on the arena grounds below.

The crowd went wild, cheering and shouting for their favorite hero, though unfortunately for him, Midnight had decided to add in her own commentary, shouting over his words as he made his entrance saying, "All Might the number one hero!" The crowd was silent in confusion for a minute and Midnight put her hands up to her mouth abashedly. "Ruined that didn't I," she said.

All Might gritted his teeth but rolled with it and the crowd picked the cheer back up again. Maddie grinned at his slightly fumbled heroic entrance and took up the cheer with the rest of the crowd. So that's where he had been, preparing for his big entrance!

"Now that you're here, All Might, why don't you start the presentation," Midnight announced. She handed him the medals and he laughed, taking them in his hands and moving towards Tokoyami first.

He put the medals around each student's neck and gave them each a hug of congratulations along with some encouraging words. When he reached Bakugo, he removed the mouth restraint that had been locked onto the raging young man, but had some trouble placing the gold metal around Bakugo's neck. The explosive teen was angry with the way he had won and didn't want to accept the gold medal, he hadn't thought he had proven himself as the very best since Todoroki hadn't used his full power on him during their fight. There was nothing to be done, however, and All Might ended up just placing the medal between the boy's gnashing teeth, letting it hang in his mouth.

"Here they are, the winners of this years' Sports Festival!" All Might announced. "But listen closely, any of you could have ended up standing here on these podiums. Think about what you've done today. You've challenged each other, learned, and even climbed even closer to your goals of being pros. I think the next generation of heroes is proving to be the most promising yet!" He pointed a finger high in the sky, "So I have just one more thing to say! I want to hear everyone yell it with me! You know what it is!"

"Plus Ultra!" the entire stadium yelled as All Might yelled out "Thank you everyone for your hard work!" with the most heroic of arm motions.

The stadium went silent at his unexpected words and then started booing him with several people shouting, "What?! That was the perfect time to say Plus Ultra, All Might!"

"Oh well, I guess, but everyone did such a good job!" he nearly pouted at his upset fans.

Maddie cracked up, unable to contain her wild tirade of laughter. What a goof! She couldn't believe she could have ever been angry with this guy in the past. God, she loved that man! She was very happy he had found his way back into her life, and he had been right, they had all learned more about themselves during the festival. She just wasn't sure what to make of all these conflicting emotions yet. What a Sports Festival it had been!

 **A/N: Didn't want to leave the sports festival out since it's such a big part of the storyline, but most of you already know what happened so I tried to gloss over it. More romance to come, thanks!**


	11. Flashback

Chapter 11: Flashback

*Several Years Ago*

The bus came to a halt on squeaky brakes and with the hiss of exhaust as the tour group of excited young students exited out the doors into the bright California midday sun. Maddie squinted her eyes in the sudden light as she stepped off the last step of the bus, but she lifted her face to the fresh breath of the wind. She could smell the ocean on the breeze.

"Alright, group, gather together and then follow me to the university welcome center," their tour guide announced as he led the young prospective students off across the parking lot.

Maddie followed the group, gazing in wonder at the buildings of the hero college in California she had come to visit. She was fresh out of high school and had begun touring schools across the country to continue her career, and this one was certainly the most impressive and well-known college in the country, but she already knew she wouldn't be going here. For one thing, it was too expensive, and for another, she wasn't interested in becoming a pro hero so she felt this place would be wasted on her. She had still wanted to see it though, and walk its' hallowed halls.

"Miss, in the back, could you please stay with the group? Some classes are in session and I don't want to disturb anyone," the tour guide scolded her as she lagged behind to look at a display case that was proudly showing off some of the top students in the school.

"Sorry," she replied and brought up the end of the group.

Her mood had been slightly damped by one of the photos posted to the display. There, amongst many other smiling and achieving heroes, had been the unmistakable smirk of her long-lost rival, Toshinori Yagi. Apparently, he was taking classes here at this university, so now she could add a third reason to her list of reasons she was definitely not going to this school. _Of course he would make the top student display board at a foreign school._ She guessed he still hadn't changed. Despite her dislike of him though, she noted he looked good in his picture, sporting a nicely designed costume and clearly looking like he had bulked up quite a lot since she had seen him last. She almost didn't recognize him buried in all that muscle…but she could never forget those bright blue eyes and that sparkling smile.

What had really intrigued her was the smaller man he had a bulky arm draped over in the picture. David Shield. Not a hero student, but a scientist. _Interesting_. Well at any rate, she hoped she didn't bump into Yagi while on the tour. She had better stick with the group from now on.

* * *

Toshinori bounced a rubber ball on the wall of the science lab as his best friend, Dave, finished up some of his work.

"Can you cut that racket out? I'm trying to think here," Dave complained.

Toshinori caught the ball and rolled his eyes. "Come on, Dave, you've been thinking all semester. I thought we were supposed to be taking a break."

"Yeah, but that was _before_ I found out that the dean wants me to talk to some visiting high school students today. I've got to be prepared," Dave explained.

"What? You didn't tell me about that," Toshinori protested.

"Look you don't need to know every detail in my life…and I was kind of hoping you wouldn't come with me, just this once. Is that alright?" Dave asked apologetically.

"Well, why not?" Toshinori said turning around in his chair and facing his friend.

"Well, you kind of always steal the show…uh, no offense, but I was hoping to have time to tell the students about this university instead of it turning into some sort of "All Might autograph session." If you know what I mean?"

Toshinori laughed out loud, a big boisterous sound and patted Dave firmly on the shoulder. "Am I really that popular around here already? Alright, I get it, I won't crash your nerdy info session. You have my word," the big hero smiled, giving his friend a thumbs up.

Dave chuckled, "I knew I could count on you. Why don't you go smash some mail boxes or something and I'll meet you back in the lab in an hour."

"Smash mailboxes? But Dave, I'm an upstanding citizen!" Toshinori gasped.

"Could have fooled me," David Shields taunted his friend as he gathered up his notes and made his way to the door. He couldn't be late for his first meeting with prospective students.

* * *

Maddie watched from her seat in the small meeting room as the tall auburn-haired scientist she had seen in the display case photo entered the room and stood before them. David Shield. Her stomach took a flip and she glanced around hurriedly, hoping he hadn't brought his "friend" with him. When there was no sight of the tall muscled Yagi, she took a sigh of relief, but continued to feel exposed sitting in full view in the front row.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I hope you are all having a pleasant tour. My name is David Shield, and I am a student here at this university, working in the scientific field and closely with the hero students. I was asked to talk to you today and answer any questions you may have," Dave explained to Maddie's tour group. He began telling them all about the amazing opportunities the school offered and all the successful students who had graduated.

"I am close to graduating myself, and I am happy to say that I have gained an insane amount of experience being able to work as support to the pro heroes. I love coming up with equipment and ideas that make it easier for them to do their jobs. It makes me feel like a hero myself. I guess I'm just saying that you shouldn't limit yourself to just being a pro hero. There is so much more in this world that you can help with and contribute too. So, if you don't have the most powerful quirk, it doesn't matter, you can still be successful and bring your gifts and talents to this school," Dave finished. "Any questions?"

Many of Maddie's tour group put their hands up and asked David Shield questions, but it was all background noise to her. The words he had spoken struck a chord with her. _You shouldn't limit yourself to just being a pro hero. There is so much more in this world that you can help with and contribute too._ It's what she had always wanted to hear, and here was a man standing there right in front of her who had done it, who was actually doing it. Being a hero on the sidelines, a support hero.

After questions were done and the tour group was dismissed from the meeting room to continue the tour of the university grounds, Maddie trailed behind again and approached David Shield. "Excuse me, Mr. Shield?" she asked in an uncertain voice.

The young man turned towards her with gentle eyes and a kind smile. "Yes, ma'am, how can I help you?"

"I just wanted you to know that the things you said really helped me figure some stuff out, so thank you," Maddie managed to say.

"Oh, you're welcome," he replied.

"I also wanted to know," she hurriedly added before he could turn away, "Do you feel you've really truly helped people, even though you're not a pro hero? I mean, I saw your picture on the display case in the welcome center, and it might sound crazy, but I actually know the hero you were posing in that picture with. So, even standing next to someone with as much power as him, do you really feel like what you do is as valuable?"

Dave took a second to consider her question before he answered. "Yes, actually I do. Sure, Toshinori could take care of the villains himself, but every time he wins a fight and saves the day, he looks to me and smiles and says "thank you." Everyone can use a little support in their lives. No one wants to do it all alone." Dave smiled as if thinking back on those moments and then chuckled and looked back to Maddie. "Besides, you've seen pictures of him in action, right? He wouldn't look that cool if it wasn't for my stellar costume designs," he winked at her.

She smiled at his words, taking heart and solidifying herself in her choices. "Well, thank you, Mr. Shield."

"Anytime," he said, then suddenly thought of something. "Hey, wait, you said you knew Toshinori Yagi? What's your name? I could tell him I talked to you today."

"Oh! It's alright…I'd rather not…uh, hey I think my tour might leave without me, gotta go!" Maddie said trying desperately to excuse herself politely without telling him who she was. She backed away towards the door and waved goodbye to him.

"Uh, ok, nice meeting you," Dave replied hopelessly. "Maybe I'll see you again someday when you come to this school!" He called after her.

"Yeah, maybe," she replied and made her hasty exit. She caught up with the tour group outside on the grounds and decided to keep a low profile the rest of the time she was here as she breathed a sigh of relief. _That had been a little too close._

* * *

Dave Shield shook his head in amusement as the strange girl scurried off and then bent to collect his notes.

"Hey Dave!" he heard a familiar voice call to him from the other entrance to the room. He looked up to see Toshinori walking towards him wearing his high school letterman jacket and his traditional grin.

"I thought I told you I'd meet you in the lab?" Dave said.

"Yeah, I know, but you were late and I got bored so I thought I'd come find you. What've you been doing?" the muscled hero asked him. "And who was that cute blonde girl you were just talking too?"

"Oh, that was a student on the tour group I was talking to. Funny that you mentioned her, she said she knows you."

"Knows me? Did you get her name?"

"Naw, she wouldn't tell me even though I asked," Dave shrugged.

"What did she look like?" Toshinori questioned further. "I only caught a glimpse of her darting out the door."

"Well she was cute like you said, blonde, and she had blue eyes that reminded me of water for some reason. Oh, and she had sort of aqua blue highlights in her hair," Dave explained.

Toshinori's eyes widened for a second. "You don't think it could be…" he trailed off. "Which way did that tour go, Dave? I've got to find out!"

A look of bewildered confusion crossed Dave's face. "Uh I'm not sure, I think they were going to go see one more thing and then leave."

Toshinori dashed out of the room at top speed, sending Dave's notes flying as he sped by. "What the hell has gotten into him?" Dave muttered as he danced around, trying to recapture his flying note pages. "I guess that girl really did know him?"

* * *

Toshinori came sliding to a halt in the parking lot as he watched the bus that had brought the tour group drive away. He had been just a second too late to catch up with the group and see if it really had been her. What were the odds of that though? There could be a hundred blonde, blue-eyed girls near his age with aqua highlights in their hair…right? He sighed and watched the bus drive farther and farther away, still considering if he should dash after it anyway. He could catch it easily…but if it wasn't her…he'd just end up causing a lot of problems for the driver and the people on the bus.

 _Ah well_ , he sighed to himself. _Guess I better go back and find Dave and explain all this to him_. He was probably really confused by now. Toshinori wondered why the girl hadn't given Dave her name? Was she really still upset with him after all this time? The bus finally faded from view and Toshinori turned back to go find his friend.

 _Maybe I'll see you again someday, Bubbles._

 **A/N: Bonus flashback chapter I had fun writing and adding in based on something a reviewer suggested. Thanks and enjoy as always!**


	12. My Own Worst Enemy

Chapter 12: My Own Worst Enemy

The students received the next two days of school off to recuperate, so Maddie again found some free time. She helped Ersaserhead and Vlad King go through the internship offers for their students, and was happily surprised to see that most of the students had gotten offers. They had done well in the festival and had caught the attention of many eyes. When she got to Midoriya's name, however, she saw that no one had wanted him as an intern. She felt bad for him, but she could understand the agencies' reasoning. Who would want to have a student around who was such a liability? Recovery Girl was right, he really needed to work on the use of his quirk

When the paperwork was all done and sorted, Maddie wandered around the school a little, slightly hoping to run into Toshinori since she hadn't seen him yet after the festival. She didn't feel comfortable calling him, not after their awkward conversations yesterday. They were supposed to be friends, but for some reason, now that the fact was established, she felt even more strange being around him, and yet she still wanted to see him. She already missed his stupid smile.

She opened a room she hadn't been in before, still lost in thought, and realized she had stumbled into some sort of small auditorium that looked like it was set up for musical performances. There was a small stage and the room was lined with acoustic panels. She explored even more, coming upon a closet that held a few musical instruments and equipment. She didn't know UA had a music department? Well, it was a high school after all. Nobody was there…and she was a little bored…maybe she should get a little practicing in?

Maddie picked up a black electric guitar and amp to go with it. She moved them to the center of the stage and began picking at the strings, making sure the guitar was tuned and the amp was working properly. Once satisfied, she gave the guitar a nice strum and pressed down on the strings of the neck, making it wail. The room reflected the sound all around her and she smiled at the quality acoustics. "Nice," she said and then began picking out the chorus to a song she knew by heart and enjoyed playing.

 _Please tell me whyyyyyyy_

 _My car is in the front yard_

 _And I'm_

 _Sleeping with my clothes oooooon_

 _I came in through the window_

 _Last night_

 _And you're gone_

 _Gooone_

After the first tentative notes were played, she really started to get into it, putting all her passion and confused emotions into the electric guitar and just closing her eyes and listening. She sang the lines, getting louder and more confident with each strum. It felt so good to just let loose and play. Who cares if she wasn't acting like the professional grown woman that she should be, everyone needs to let off a little steam every once in a while. She finished her song with a furious swipe at the strings and just listened to the note fade out…that's when she heard the slow clapping.

 _Shit, someone had heard her playing!_

Her eyes snapped open to see Present Mic standing by the door and clapping for her with a big smile on his face. "Right on, Sapphire! You should have told me you were going to be rocking out in here," he said.

She gasped, her face turning bright red as she stumbled to put the guitar down while it squealed in protest as she dropped it on the floor. "Ho-how long have you been standing there? I mean this-this is nothing I was just, uh, just testing it out." She was so mortified and embarrassed that someone had been watching her play…and he heard her sing! How could this get any worse.

"Why are you getting all upset?" Mic said as he approached the stage and picked the guitar back up. "You were really good! Nothing to be ashamed of here. A lot of musicians can play better than you, sure, but you really put your heart and soul into that. It was beautiful," he finished, faking moved tears and putting a hand over his heart. "So touching."

"Alright, you can stop making fun of me now and I will just slink back into the hole I came from," she said, making a move to turn off the amp.

"What? Are you crazy? You're never going back in your hole again if I have anything to say about it! I've been looking for someone with passion to jam with. So, what do you say? Want to play with me some time? Oooh, I know! Let's practice right now! Got any more of these?" the voice hero asked, completely ecstatic as he went to go check the music closet she had left open.

"Oh, I don't know Hizashi, I don't usually play with other people," Maddie said nervously.

"Come on, you're missing out! Playing with a band is the best," he replied coming over with another guitar. "I even know the song you were playing just a little, but I'm good with music so I'll pick up the rest easily enough. You have to sing it though, I'm a little shaky on the English lyrics."

He handed her the guitar she had been using and then strummed on his own. She looked at him, still unsure if she should play with him. Playing her guitar had always been more of a personal thing for her. She didn't like performing and especially didn't like people seeing her perform…but it could be fun, and Hizashi wasn't one to judge if she messed up. Besides, they were all adults here, no need to act like a nervous little school girl.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Well, alright, I guess I could give it a try," she complied.

"Three, two, one," Present Mic yelled and started strumming the first notes of the intro. Maddie caught up with him after a nervous start and soon they were easily jamming together, playing off each other's notes. Maddie only played the song at first, getting the hang of playing with someone rather than just herself, but once they had an easy rhythm built up, she gave the lyrics to the song a try. Her voice was quiet and weak at first, but with the nodding encouragement from Mic, she was soon becoming more confident in the song and was able to sing along with the music.

They finished with a bang and Mic gave her a big smile and a high five. "That was so cool, Maddie! You've got to say yes to playing with me again sometime! You've got a pretty good voice and some mad skills on the guitar!"

"Thanks, Hizashi, you're not too bad yourself," Maddie chuckled happily. She was proud of herself for actually letting go and having a good time with a friend instead of letting her fears hold her back.

"I know, you should perform a song at Midnight's party! She'd love it," Mic said.

"Midnight's party?"

"You haven't heard about it yet? Yeah, she usually has a big fun party at a nightclub after the sports festival. I'm sure she'll invite you too it once she gets a chance, and she'll be super excited to hear you have some musical talent," Mic explained.

"Look, this was really fun, just playing guitar with you, but I don't think I'd do well at a party with a bunch of other people. I'm not the most outgoing person when it comes to crowds. Just one other reason I didn't become a pro," Maddie explained with a nervous shrug.

"Just think about it, alright? I can help you put something together, it'd be really cool," Present Mic tried convincing her as he started to put the instruments back up.

"Yeah, well, maybe I'll think about it," Maddie said after putting the last of the equipment back in the supply closet. "Thanks for playing with me though, it was fun and helped me just get out a lot of frustration I had building up inside of me."

"The big guy giving you problems again?"

"And why would you assume it was All Might?"

"Because it always seems to be All Might."

"Ha, yeah, maybe you're right," Maddie chuckled as the two of them walked out of the music room together and into the hall.

"Look, I'm not Midnight or anything, so I don't know how much good advice I can really give you, but I can tell you that you really don't have anything to worry about," Mic said.

"What are you talking about?"

"He is very obviously into you. He's going to make a move on you sooner or later."

"Woah, Hizashi, I think you might have the wrong idea. He and I already discussed this at the sports festival and agreed we should just be friends and keep it professional. At least…I think that's what it meant, it was all a little confusing. Especially after the night before and all the tension I've felt—you know what, never mind, just don't worry about it, it's fine," Maddie tried explaining but faltered towards the end.

"You guys discussed it at the sports festival? What do you mean by the night before? You know, you sound pretty conflicted about something if you ask me. I don't think it's "fine" at all," Present Mic said with some disbelief.

"Look I'm telling you it is. Stop being so nosey. Let's just leave it alone right now, I don't feel like talking about it. I'm probably making way more out of this than it really is, or even was," she sighed thinking back on any signals she may have misread. He enjoyed spending time with her…they were good friends and got along well…but hadn't he tried to kiss her? She couldn't have misread that.

"All right, jamming buddy, if you say so then I won't bother you about it, but I'm here if you ever need to talk," Present Mic said, giving in a little.

"Thanks, Hizashi, you're a good friend."

* * *

Toshinori opened the door from the lounge and entered the school hall. He had just had a meeting with his police friend, Tsukauchi, who had told him some troubling news and he was worried an old enemy could be back on the rise. But the students would be safe. They would all be choosing internships from the top heroes pretty soon, and Midoriya had even received an offer from Toshinori's own mentor, Gran Torino. He must admit, he was a little sore that Gran Torino had offered to mentor the boy. It was like he didn't trust Toshinori's teaching abilities. He knew he wasn't the best teacher, but he didn't think he was doing too badly, was he? The last thing he wanted to do, though, was insult Gran Torino. That man made him shiver in fear and there was just something about his old mentor that really unsettled him. He didn't want to disappoint the man, so he decided he would tell Midoriya about the offer.

As he made his way down the hall, Toshinori heard laughing and talking coming his way. It almost sounded like…he peaked his head around a corner and saw Maddie and Present Mic walking down the hallway together and joking around. Maddie had a big smile on her face and her eyes were sparkling like they did when she was happy. He missed looking into those eyes. Toshinori groaned and flattened himself back against the wall. _Shit, why had he been so stupid?!_ What was he thinking by telling her they should just remain friends? He guessed he just hadn't had feelings like this for someone in a long time, and it had frightened him and caused him to push her away. Now that they had a distance between them, he only wanted to be near her even more. The care and concern he had watched her show as she helped out at the sports festival with the students and Midoriya had only made him even more attracted to her kind and generous nature. Now here she was, flirting with Present Mic, and from what he had heard, Endeavor had shown an interest in her as well. So had Tsukauchi when he had flirted with her that time in the nurses' office. Toshinori gritted his teeth, he was still at square one, letting her slip away. He needed to get back into the ring somehow. He had made a mistake and he couldn't just stand by and watch someone else swoop in and take her heart, especially when he hadn't even had the chance to tell her how he was feeling. He himself didn't even fully know, but if he didn't at least do something he might lose her forever. He was the number one hero, the symbol of peace after all, right? Surely, he could handle asking a girl out on a date. It's not like he hadn't done it before. Sometimes you just have to jump without thinking, like a true hero.

So that's just what he did. As Maddie and Present Mic approached his corner, he popped out in front of them without thinking, scaring the living crap out of them.

Mic yelled so loud he almost broke a window with his super powered voice and Maddie jumped nearly out of her skin, throwing up a water barrier and getting everyone wet in the process.

"Oh, shit, sorry guys!" Toshinori said abashedly with his hands out in front of him.

"Sheesh, a little warning would be nice next time, skeletor," Present Mic complained.

"Seriously, Toshi," Maddie panted in fright.

Toshinori felt his stomach clench at the shortened name she had started using for him recently. He loved hearing her say it, it made him feel closer to her somehow. Unfortunately, Present Mic had started to notice it too.

"Aww, you call him "Toshi" now? That's cute," the voice hero cooed.

"Shut up, Mic, it's easier to say," she punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"So, what are you doing here, All Might?" Mic said as he rubbed his shoulder, "You know, besides scaring us."

"Oh, just meeting with Tsukauchi about police findings."

"Anything new?" Maddie asked as she began to dry off everyone's wet clothes with her quirk.

"They figured out the identity of the Nomu and they're working on finding out why he had more than one quirk, but I can't really say anything more than that," he replied with a worried look.

"I understand, but is everything ok?" Maddie asked, noticing his darkened face.

"Yes, it's fine for now," Toshinori said, trying to lighten his mood.

"Well good. You know, Tsukauchi never called me to follow up after our chat when I first met him. I guess he didn't need any more information after all," she remarked.

"Or, maybe he just didn't want to make All Might jealous," Mic suggested.

"What is wrong with you? Can you please not do this now, Hizashi," Maddie laughed nervously through gritted teeth.

Toshinori just stared at them in confusion, "Uh, what?"

"Anyways," Maddie continued nervously, changing the subject, "I was just helping Eraser sort through the internship offers, that's why I was here today."

"And I heard a mysterious melody in the old music room, so when I went to investigate, I found our own Sapphire jamming on a guitar! Then we rocked out together, it was pretty stellar," Present Mic said enthusiastically.

"I didn't know you played the guitar," Toshinori said with some surprise.

"Well, we haven't really known each other for very long. There's probably a lot you don't know about me," she said with a wink. _Oh wait, what was she doing?! Stop spontaneously flirting with him! Not in front of Mic!_

Toshinori stared at her with his mouth slightly agape, he didn't know what to say to that except to stutter out, "Yeah, I guess."

Present Mic didn't let the awkwardness slip away. "She's even going to do a song at Midnight's party! You should come, All Might, so you can hear her sing. Maybe even ask her to dance, eh?" the voice hero prodded Toshinori with his elbow.

"Oh, um, sure…maybe," Toshinori stuttered again.

"Hizashi," Maddie hissed. "Maybe we should go home. I'm sure All Might has a lot to do today. Nice seeing you, All Might," she said and began pushing Present Mic away down the hallway. He was treading on dangerous territory and she had to get him out of here before he embarrassed her even more.

"All right, suit yourself. She's really good though, All Might, trust me, you don't want to miss it," Present Mic said with a thumbs up to Toshinori while being pushed by Maddie. "See ya!"

Maddie was moving away too, and Toshnori suddenly realized that due to Mic's distractions he hadn't quite done what he had meant to do in the first place. Even if he didn't exactly have a firm grip on what he was going to say, he still needed to talk to her. "Wait, Maddie, I actually really need to talk to you alone. Do you have time?" he called after her.

"Oooooo," Mic said quietly at her with a wink. "He wants to talk to you _alone._ "

Maddie was incredibly flustered with what Mic had been saying, what Toshinori had said to her only yesterday, and what her stupid emotions were doing to her. The last thing she could handle right now was a "talk" with Toshinori. "I'm a bit busy right now, how about later?" she asked, trying to duck him yet again.

"How about at the party?" Present Mic added in.

"Sure, that sounds like a good idea, I'll see you then, ok?" Maddie said.

Toshinori sighed. It hurt to get blown off by her like this again. "Fine. I'll see you then."

Maddie walked off with Present Mic in tow and breathed a sigh of relief when Toshinori was out of sight and sound. "Hizashi, I can't believe you, I never agreed to do a song and Midnight hasn't even invited me!" she ranted in frustration to her friend. "And how dare he! Does he enjoy playing with my emotions like that? First, he disappoints me and then suddenly he "wants to talk" and gives me those sad puppy dog eyes! Ugh!"

Present Mic had to fight back a laugh at her outburst. _Puppy dog eyes?_ Oh, she liked him alright, and even though Recovery Girl had advised against it, he felt like it was time to give the two of them a little push. "Calm down, Maddie, and don't worry about it until the party. Of course, you're invited, besides, you can always come as my plus one. Anyway, I really think you should do a song. You know, show All Might and the world that you're a strong independent support hero!"

"Well, when you put it that way…" Maddie said, taking a deep breath and trying to calm down.

"Just keep thinking about it and call Midnight, ask her what she thinks."

"Alright, alright, I just really want to go home now."

"Ok, see ya soon, try not to break anymore hearts until then, eh?" Mic teased.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Maddie frowned.

"Bye, Maddie," Present Mic waved and walked away still shaking his head.

* * *

With the students gone on their internships for the next week, Midnight announced her party and invited all the faculty and staff at the school including many of her other friends. Maddie was indeed invited on the request that she perform a song. Everyone was very excited to hear about her performance and several of the teachers had asked her about it, so between what Present Mic had said and not wanting to disappoint anyone, Maddie decided to do the song.

"That's wonderful!" Midnight exclaimed when Maddie told her about it. "Especially since I already promised so many people that you would!"

"Oh, great," Maddie replied sarcastically.

"Look, I've got to go. Got lots of planning up ahead," Midnight said. "Just promise me one thing, Maddie."

"What's that?"

"Promise me that you'll have fun and relax a little at the party. I throw this thing to give us adults a chance to unwind and enjoy ourselves for once, especially with what's all been going on recently. So just do yourself a favor and do the same, do what your heart wants, you know?"

"Alright, don't worry about me," Maddie laughed. "Seriously, what is up with you and Hizashi all of the sudden? You guys are acting so cryptic! Are you up to something?"

"What us? Of course not! Just have fun, that's all. See you later, cupcake," Midnight replied with fake surprise and then hung up the phone.

"I'm not so sure I want to go to this party anymore now," Maddie mumbled.

 **A/N: Song used in this chapter was "My Own Worst Enemy" by Lit.**


	13. Midnight's Party

Chapter 13: Midnight's Party 

The night of the party, Maddie's cab pulled up in front of the loud nightclub that Midnight had rented out for the event. The building seemed to be bursting with colors, music and people, much more than Maddie had expected. If she was going to mingle in this overly social environment, and perform a song for them, she was going to need a lot to drink.

She walked into the building, showing the bouncers at the door her invitation, and was immediately overwhelmed by the loud beating music, the crowded dance floor, and the flashing laser lights. Sure, she had clubbed and had her wild days back when she was younger, but it had been some time since she had been to a party like this. She wondered if Toshinori was already here. Part of her wanted to find him, at least he would be someone stable to lean on here on this uncertain ground, but the other part of her still clenched up thinking about what he had wanted to talk to her about and the thought sent butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. She craned her neck around the bobbing dancers and patrons of the club, looking for anyone familiar to group up with. She heard someone call her name and saw Midnight and Present Mic along with Vlad King and Ectoplasm grouped around a table.

"Would you look at her?" Midnight said to Present Mic as Maddie waved back and approached them. "She looks so delicious in that pretty blue dress and those heels. If she didn't already have it so bad for our favorite number one hero, I'd be all over that."

"Haha, easy girl, keep your mind on the mission. Though, it's a good thing she looks so cute, it will only make hooking her up with All Might even easier," Present Mic laughed.

"Good evening everyone," Maddie greeted the table when she arrived.

"Good evening, cupcake," Midnight said sweetly. "Won't you sit with us? I'm so glad you made it."

The others nodded in greeting and Maddie took a seat at the table next to Midnight. "You look lovely tonight," the dark-haired woman complimented.

"Thank you, so do you… all of you," Maddie replied. Midnight was wearing a tight revealing dress but the other faculty were still in their hero costumes. It was like you couldn't peel those things off of them.

"So, what do you think of the place? Can we get you a drink?" Present Mic asked her.

"Oh sure, thanks. Place is a bit loud but seems like a party," Maddie replied awkwardly. "Do you know all of these people?"

"Most of them," Midnight said as Present Mic went to the bar for some drinks.

"Seen anyone else I might know?" Maddie asked.

"Some of the other teachers might be here, but I can introduce you to some people."

"Oh, alright."

Midnight smiled mischievously and leaned forward to talk to Maddie personally, "He's not here yet, if that's what you were really asking," she said.

"Wh-who's not here yet?" Maddie responded.

"Oh, you know, All Might," she told Maddie with a knowing grin.

"Oh, well thanks for letting me know, not that it really matters," Maddie said, trying to sound casual. Mic returned with their drinks a second later and Maddie gratefully tried to loose herself in whatever it happened to be. She didn't really care at the moment, she just needed something to help her deal with this situation. After a few sips she was feeling more comfortable and perhaps a bit braver.

"So, did he say he was coming?" she asked Midnight who had been talking to Present Mic.

"Who?" Midnight asked.

"All Might," Maddie said.

"Oh, interested all of the sudden, hmm? Yes, he said he might swing by and I'm pretty sure he will. You're here after all," she replied. "Didn't you tell him you would talk to him tonight?"

"I see Hizashi can't keep things to himself," Maddie said flatly. "What else did he tell you?"

"Hey! That's all I said, promise," Present Mic defended himself.

"Maddie, come with me, let's go dance, mingle and get another drink, alright?" Midnight said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her up.

"Alright," Maddie said with some surprise.

"What about—" Present Mic started to say, but Midnight hushed him.

"Just let me handle it, Hizashi," she told him, dragging Maddie away from the table.

The two women weaved through the crowd and back to the bar, finding a more secluded spot and sit down with another drink. "Now, better?" Midnight asked her reserved friend.

"Thanks, Nemuri, but I was fine. I just need to get used to all this night life again," Maddie said.

"Look, you're here in Japan, far from home, with no family or anyone familiar to lean on. Just talk to me, ok? I want you to have someone you feel like you can talk to anytime you need. Every girl needs it," Midnight pressed, putting a hand on Maddie's arm.

Maddie took a big slurp of her drink and sighed. "I'm sorry, I know you're trying to help, I'm just a private person. I prefer to deal with things myself."

"Deal with things? Oh, you mean just let all that shit bottle up inside until you either explode and hurt someone you care about or, even worse, it just fades away and you miss out on one of the best things that could have happened to you?" Midnight scolded.

"Well that seems oddly specific. Are we talking about All Might again? I wasn't born yesterday, I know about you and Hizashi and the whole damn situation," Maddie scowled. "I feel like we should just let it all go and focus on other things…like this party."

"We just want both of you to be happy," Midnight said.

"I am happy, Nemuri," Maddie sighed. "And you really need to stop worrying, I already told Hizashi that All Might and I have worked everything out."

"Then why are you so nervous about seeing him tonight?"

"I'm not nervous."

"Yes, you are. You're a terrible liar you know."

"I'm not lying, he and I are old friends and coworkers, nothing more," Maddie said, arms crossed.

"Well I know you like him," Midnight copied her motions. "And I know he likes you, so I don't see what the problem is here."

"It's not that simple."

"So, you do like him! I knew it!" Midnight exclaimed.

Maddie blushed and hid her face in her drink again, "I…I didn't say that."

"You don't have to say anything! Your face is bright red and I can tell from your body language that it's true," Midnight laughed. "Ok, ok, let's just pretend that it _is_ true, just pretend, alright?"

"Where are you going with this?" Maddie asked suspiciously, but the drink was getting to her head and her mood was improving, so she didn't stop Midnight from playing her little game.

"Well, what do you like most about him?"

"What do I like most, hmm, ok, I like…" Maddie trailed off, putting a finger to her chin and thought about the question. She didn't want to say it out loud, but the more she thought about Toshinori the more about him she realized she liked. Maybe it was the alcohol buzzing through her veins or Midnight's girlish talk, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling as her mind formed thoughts of Toshinori. His courageous and heroic heart, his kind and helpful personality, those sad puppy eyes…his incredible ass. She blushed hard again and tried to shake her head clear of the trance. "I guess I would have to say that I like how he helps people, that he's such a good hero." _There that was safe enough to say._

Midnight wasn't exactly satisfied with the answer, though she had noticed Maddie's smile. "Fair enough," she said. She was determined to get Maddie to admit how much she liked All Might. After all, admitting it to yourself was the first step. "Let's go with strictly physical features then. What do you like about him most?"

Maddie raised her eyebrows. "You don't give up do you? All right, I'll play your game. This is all pretend anyways, like you said. I like his ass, how about that?" Maddie said frankly, slapping her hands down on the bar.

Midnight laughed at the obviously tipsy woman in front of her. "Ok, next question. Do you prefer him powered up or in his true form?"

This question made Maddie really pause before she answered. How could she answer that question in the first place? It was like Midnight was referring to him as if he were two different people. He still had the same heart and emotions whether he was powered up or in true form. Other than the more brazen voice and bigger smile, there was no difference between his two forms in her eyes. "I don't know how to answer that, Nemuri. I feel the same about him no matter what he looks like."

Midnight gasped a little and put a hand over her smile, "Aww you really do love him, don't you?"

"Love him?" Maddie said quietly, almost as if a question to herself. _Is that why her heart had hurt so much when he had told her he just wanted to be friends? Damn Midnight for making her feel this way and for making her doubt herself!_ "I think I need another fucking drink," Maddie announced.

Midnight and Maddie grabbed two new drinks and then decided to make their way to the dance floor. The music beating and the lights flashing only served to loosen Maddie up even more as she danced alongside Midnight. Many familiar faces flashed by her vision and she greeted each in turn, including a few new faces who Midnight introduced her too. She was actually having a lot of fun now and was feeling even more confident. She may even be able to sing this song Midnight had planned. She danced and drank to try and forget the thoughts that had been welling back up to the surface of her mind, and it seemed to be working too, but just as she joined Present Mic for another dance, all her hard work drinking away her feelings was shattered with a sudden loud announcement.

"I am here! At pro hero Midnight's party!" All Might announced loudly from the club's entrance as he strode past the bouncers and into the party. The crowd cheered with wild excitement and everyone there stopped dancing to greet the mighty hero and shake his hand.

"Yes, yes, glad I could make it, good to see you all," he beamed and smiled, graciously shaking all the offered hands and retuning everyone's greetings. He towered over the crowd, fully powered up and muscled, his presence larger than life and almost surreal, especially to those who were under the influence, like Maddie.

"Now!" he announced, "Where is the lady of honor? My dear friend and fellow teacher, Midnight!"

"Over here, All Might," Midnight waved to him from the dance floor.

As the big hero made his way over to her, Maddie suddenly realized that she was standing quite near Midnight, in fact, right next to her. Her automatic response was to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible in order to avoid the awkwardness with Toshinori that was sure to come, but Present Mic grabbed her arm as she tried to make her escape and held her back.

"Nope, you're not running off again," Mic said to her. "you're going to stand here and face him, you owe him that much."

The club music continued to play and many people resumed dancing as Toshinori reached Midnight, Present Mic, and Maddie. He bowed before her and offered her a single red rose saying, "Happy birthday, Midnight."

Midnight giggled and took the rose, giving it a smell. "But it's not my birthday, All Might. This is a "just because" party!" she said.

"Oh, err, sorry," All Might said in surprise. "I just assumed when you invited me to a party it was a birthday. Well, uh, happy party then!"

"Well thank you just the same," Midnight laughed again. "That was very sweet of you."

Toshinori turned to Maddie and Present Mic next. "Good to see you two," he said cringing a bit on the inside when he saw Mic's hand on Maddie's arm.

"Glad you could make it, big guy!" Present Mic exclaimed in welcome.

"Yeah, good to see you, Toshinori," Maddie smiled quietly.

"I, uh, got you one too, Maddie," Toshinori said, offering her another red rose.

"Oh," she said, taking the rose from his hand with surprise, "Thank you." Her eyes looked up at his and for the second that their fingers touched she felt a wave of warmth rush over her body. All the thoughts and emotions Midnight had unearthed during their conversation earlier rose back to the front of her mind and she could feel the embarrassing blushing starting again. Shit, _how does he do this to her so easily?_ She could try to forget all she wanted, but just one look from his piercing blue eyes caused her heart to start pounding again and her stomach to fill with butterflies. She had to do something to distract herself from him and these feelings she had. Her fuzzy and illogical mind decided that maybe if she flirted with him a little it would raise her confidence?

Maddie lifted the rose to her nose and smelled it, "How come you got me one too?"

"Well I wanted to get something nice for my two female coworkers…and I wanted to apologize for being so forward yesterday," he announced, staring back into her eyes and aching for a chance just to talk to her alone and tell her how he felt about her, but Midnight and Present Mic were standing nearby and were watching him very intently, so he had to continue playing it cool. He didn't want to embarrass her or make things any worse, so he had showed up late to the party on purpose, not to seem too eager to see her.

"Oh, there's nothing to forgive, but I'll accept it just the same," Maddie smiled, ready to start playing the flirting game. "Didn't you need to talk to me about something tonight? I've been waiting for you this whole time. I was wondering where you were?" she said, taking a small step towards him and letting her tipsy head take over for her.

"You-you were? Oh, well I was just taking care of some last minute hero work, um, I can talk anytime you're ready," Toshinori managed to say. He was surprised and slightly confused by her sudden change in demeanor.

"Well, it will have to wait a moment, as you know, I am due to perform a song," she said casually, swishing the rose through the air. "Hizashi, what do you say we get this fucking show started?" she said, pulling Present Mic towards her.

"Well, why not?" Hizashi said excitedly and slightly shocked. "I'll go get everything set up."

"And Midnight, I think I could use another shot before I do this shit," she announced.

Maddie stood at the bar after downing her shot and shook her head, trying to clear her mind a little. This whole situation was a little surreal. Could she really pull this off? She glanced towards the towering figure of All Might standing in the crowd and talking to people with that big dumb smile on his face _. Oh yeah, she was going to do this! She was going to show that big idiot that she was a force to be reckoned with, that she didn't need him, that he needed to quit playing these fucking games with her heart!_

She walked up to the stage and, when Midnight saw her with that determined look on her face, the pro hero jumped up on the stage herself to announce the evening's special entertainment. Present Mic stood by behind the stage, setting up the music and stage lighting. Maddie wouldn't be playing her guitar for this song since that didn't really fit the club's atmosphere. Instead she would just be singing a song of her choice to the music and lights.

"All right, my lovelies!" Midnight announced. All eyes turned towards her on the stage. "It's the moment you've been waiting for! My new co-worker and friend, who has some hidden musical talents, will be performing a song tonight for your entertainment! So, feast your eyes on my favorite delicious snack of the night, the beautiful Sapphire!

The music started slowly and the rhythm of the song beat steadily. The lights went low and the spotlight centered on Maddie as she took a deep breath, set her face with determination and stubbornness, and moved out onto the stage. Her eyes locked with Toshinori's where he stood in the audience and she gave him a smug smile and a fierce look. _You better be watching, Muscles._

 _I've been running on an empty heart_

 _Not a trace of gasoline, hmmmm_

 _Trying to dim every single spark that could hurt, that could burn all of me_

The tempo to the song picked up and Maddie continued singing, getting more into the song and putting more spirit and passion into the lyrics as her confidence soared and the energy she was feeling from the crowd urged her on.

 _Like a soldier on the battle ground_

 _Lying wounded on the field, I was_

 _Fighting alone with a broken sword, now I'm caught in a war with no shield_

The tempo changed again as she reached the bridge to the chorus and she stood with her arms out, bathed in the flashing lights of the stage. She smiled mischievously and reached for the power of her quirk, feeling it swirling around through the tips of her fingers and every fiber in her body. She was going to give them a show!

 _If you, hold me now, and leave me never_

 _Say you'll stay with me forever_

 _Then I surrender, surrender_

The beat picked up and more elements were added to the music as the lights flashed blue and green. She pulled water towards her, dancing it above her head in swirls that caught the light. The crowd stared, mesmerized by the sight and yelled in excitement at her added effects.

 _If you, hold me now, and leave me never_

 _Say you'll stay with me forever_

 _Then I surrender, surrender, yeah!_

With the last note she splashed water straight up into the sky and let it rain down on the crowd. It was magical the way the lights reflected of the droplets and scattered around the room. She danced to the interlude beat before the next verse, splashing water around at each beat drop and crescendo. She was having so much fun feeding off the energy and cheers of the crowd watching her, that she forgot all about being nervous about her performance and being upset with Toshinori. She just lived in the moment, feeling the water and the music moving through her soul. Sure, she wasn't the best performer in the world, but her energy and enthusiasm sure was making the crowd go wild.

Maddie continued the song, continuing her liquid choreography and sprinkling the crowd with water every chance she got. Toshinori watched her as she moved and sang in her lovely rich voice and used her water quirk to her advantage with excellent control. He didn't know if she had done it on purpose, but the lyrics of her song spoke to him. At first, she had pushed him away and told him she didn't need a hero and that she could save herself, but now, as they had grown closer, he felt she was sending him a different message. If he agreed to stay with her and hold her close to him forever, if he could fight by her side and support her as an equal…she would surrender, let him break down her walls, and do the same for him.

The song ended with a splash, literally, as Maddie built up and threw one last wave at the crowd with passionate emphasis and then let it trickle down as soft rain for the last notes of the song. The audience cheered and whistled as she took a bow and Midnight jumped up on the stage to give her friend a hug. "Fantastic, job! Support hero Sapphire, everyone!" Midnight announced as she held Maddie's hand up high and the crowd responded with more cheering and yelling in response. Maddie grinned and blushed, face lit up with the high and excitement of just letting herself go and having fun. The water droplets she had thrown around glistened in the light, giving her a glowing sheen of triumph. She was certainly feeling great right now and ready to face any problem!

"Thank you, everyone, I truly appreciate it," she called out to the fans. Was this how it felt to be a pro hero? To be praised and recognized? It wasn't really all that bad.

"Great, now get over here and dry off my equipment before it shorts out," Present Mic grumped at her.

"Oops, sure thing, Hizashi," Maddie said and hurried off stage to help out where things had gotten a little too wet. Most of the crowd were just lightly sprinkled so they would dry soon enough on their own, but Present Mic's sound equipment had been doused pretty good being so close to the stage.

"It's no problem, really, I'm glad you put yourself out there and had a little fun," the voice hero told her as she dehydrated his equipment. "I bet you're feeling pretty bad-ass right now, huh?"

"Yeah, I feel so full of energy!" Maddie exclaimed.

"Good, you're going to need it," Mic replied as he spied someone showing extreme interest in her out in the crowd.

Toshinori shook his head dry of the light water sprinkling he had received from Maddie's show and searched the room for her. The music had started up again and people were going back to drinking, dancing, and fun. He needed to find Maddie pretty soon, he could tell he didn't have much time left in his powered-up form. He spotted her talking to Present Mic near the sound booth, but just as he put on his best dashing smile and prepared to approach them, a bright light of burning flame entered his field of vision and he hesitated. Endeavor was here, and he was already making his way towards Maddie and Mic.

"Well, well," Endeavor said with a grin as he walked up to Maddie and Present Mic. "I see the little water girl has some musical talent."

"Ah, Endeavor, nice to see you again. How could I have missed you and all your fiery-ness," Maddie said, indicating his flaming body. "How's Shoto doing? Interning with you I saw?"

"He's doing well, stubborn as always though."

"Just like his old man, I would assume."

Endeavor laughed, "You're certainly bold tonight. It's nice to be in the spotlight isn't it? Hey, let me buy you a drink."

"I don't see the harm in that I suppose," Maddie replied, pleased at being complimented yet again and still somewhat intrigued by Endeavor.

Mic grabbed her arm as she was walking off, "Maddie, not to ruin the mood, but aren't you flirting with the wrong guy?"

"Hizashi, please, stop worrying so much. I know Endeavor's got "bad idea" written all over him. It's just a drink. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Maddie caught up with Endeavor at the bar where he ordered her a drink called a "green dragon". It was a green colored drink that could be set on fire. He lit it with the snap of a finger and handed it to her, creating quite the spectacle as many people stopped what they were doing to watch the number two hero and his flame quirk.

"How am I supposed to drink this?" Maddie asked, eyeing the burning liquid.

"What? Can't take a little heat?" Endeavor taunted.

Maddie grimaced but then downed the hot liquid in one swift motion, quenching the flames in her mouth. She quickly used her water quirk to cool her burning throat down afterwards, but then looked at Endeavor with defiance. She was on too much of a high to back down from his challenges.

He laughed, "So she can take some heat, I like that!"

"Anytime," she countered, silently screaming at herself for doing something so stupid. Her mouth was on fucking fire! But she couldn't let him think he had won.

"So, thought any more about my offer?" the flame hero asked.

"yes, actually, I have. While I find sparring with you an intriguing possibility, I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline everything else. I am happy with the job I have."

"What? Being a slave to the education system and putting up with brats and washed up heroes every day?"

"Well, if I worked for you, I'd be trading one slave master for another wouldn't I? And I'd still have to put up with a brat," she said, referring to him.

"Wow, you really are living dangerously tonight," Endeavor smirked.

"Hmm, well, besides, I like my washed-up coworkers. Many of them have become my friends."

"Like All Might?"

"Yes," she said staring straight back at him, "Like All Might."

"Suit yourself. Once an All Might fan, always an All Might fan. Just let me know if you ever change your mind," he shrugged.

"Will do," she said, suddenly reminded of Toshinori by Endeavor's words. She scanned the club and finally picked the tall man out where he was talking to Present Mic. It was as if he knew she was looking for him, or maybe he was just keeping tabs on her while she was talking to his rival, but as soon as she saw him, he looked up and met her eyes. She blushed a little and gave him a wink from across the room. "You know, though, Endeavor, it's not such a bad thing to be an All Might fan," she said to the flame hero.

He grunted and handed her another drink he had ordered. "Well, thanks for having a drink with me anyway. Can't save everyone I suppose. That's one thing you learn as a hero pretty quick."

She laughed and then quickly kissed him on the cheek, feeling the heat from the flames that framed his face. "Thanks for the drink, Endeavor."

He waved her away and she chuckled to herself as she made her way back to Present Mic and All Might.

Toshinori's face lit up as she approached and his smile broadened wide and white. He stood there, tall and muscled, standing out in any crowd he was in. Unmistakably a hero in every sense of the word with his dark heroic face and his air of confidence. He annoyed her to no end and caused her emotions and feelings to go completely crazy, but she still couldn't stop being drawn in. She hadn't wanted to talk to him and confront him about the way he was tormenting her heart. She had wanted to take her usual easy way out and just go hide away in a hole until all of her problems disappeared, but he wouldn't give up on her. He kept coming back, making her face him and all of her fears. She realized she was afraid she was falling for him, but maybe, if she let herself trust him, he would be right there with her and she wouldn't be afraid anymore. Midnight had said to let go and have fun tonight right? Should she let her heart take over for her confused and rattled mind?

"Just wanted to congratulate you on a fantastic show!" Toshinori said, giving her a thumbs up as she approached. "I certainly enjoyed it, very moving. I could tell you put a lot of your soul into it."

"Well, thanks, Toshi," she smiled. _She should just give in, put herself out there, do something brave!_

"Uh, what did Endeavor say?" Toshinori suddenly asked.

"Yeah, what'd he do to deserve a kiss from you?" Present Mic added.

"Well, he was actually being rather reasonable and understanding. I think he's finally accepted that you've won, Toshinori, yet again."

"Won what?" Toshinori asked.

"My devotion," Maddie shrugged.

"Huh?"

"Are you going to ask me to dance? This is a good song," Maddie said quickly before she lost her nerve. She downed the rest of the drink Endeavor had bought her and let the alcohol continue to take over her system. _She did it! She took the first step, now it was his turn._

Toshinori's confusion cleared and his jealousy for Endeavor disappeared as his heart leapt at her question. Were his assumptions true about the song? Was she really trying to tell him something? He beamed broadly and took her hand in his, performing a slight bow. "May I have this dance, Madelyn?"

His touch, his sincere gesture, his smile, the way he had said her full first name…her heart beat faster and her body felt heated. This was certainly different from the way she felt with Endeavor or even Present Mic. The alcohol swirled in her head and she finally let the guard she had kept for so long around her heart come crashing down.

The slow beat of the music was playing as she followed Toshinori out onto the dance floor. Her eyes were locked on his and the flutters in her stomach and chest wouldn't calm down. He put an arm around her waist, pulling her in close, and she put a nervous hand on his chest. The room seemed to go still and the people seemed to fade away as Maddie's entire being was focused on Toshinori and the tempo of the music. He never stopped smiling, he couldn't. He wanted this moment that he got to hold her in his arms to last forever. He spun her around to the music and watched her dress and hair fan out into the lights of the club and come swirling back to meet him like an ethereal angel. She laughed a little and her eyes sparkled as she came back to his chest. He felt her gaining more confidence where she had been nervous and unsure at first, and he took advantage of it as he moved her faster around the dance floor.

The more the song went on, the more she pressed herself closer to him and the more she leaned in. She was so close! Her warmth spread through him like a wildfire. He was lost in the endless ocean of her eyes, watching her sway and move to the song. If he could spend the rest of his life like this, making her smile and staring into her eyes, his life would be worth living, no matter how broken he became.

All too soon the song came to an end, and all too soon he felt his power starting to slip away. He wouldn't be able to hold his form for much longer now, and with the deflation of his body would come the end of his time here tonight with Maddie.

At the end of the song he dipped her, to her surprise and delight, and then brought her head back up close to his, breathing hard and trying to keep it all together just a little longer. Maddie put her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to be closer to him. She found herself looking back into his eyes, their connection was on fire. The dance had felt like it had drawn her even closer to him and they had become one unit as they had glided across the floor. The intoxication of the alcohol mixed with his energy and spirit overwhelmed her senses and she couldn't look away. She was drawn in like a magnet, leaning into his heat and feeling his passion through their points of contact. The hard and reluctant part of her soul that was fearful of opening up to someone was finally done holding her back. Toshinori was all there was and she wanted to be even closer.

She moved in, head swirling with strong desire to feel his lips pressed up against hers, but he hesitated slightly, moving back just a centimeter, and she suddenly became aware of her surroundings again. The club crept back into her field of vision and she drug her eyes away from him to look around and see that nearly everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch All Might dancing with Sapphire. They were all clapping and cheering at the end of the song, nodding in approval and moving in to talk with the couple. Reality hit Maddie hard like a cold unfriendly wave and she took a step away from Toshinori, taking her hands from around his neck. _Shit, they were in public. She was a support hero and a fellow teacher. She couldn't go making out with the number one hero in a night club._

She felt him reach for her as she pulled away, but she blocked him out, trying to lessen the pain and embarrassment she was sure to feel. He had pulled away first, and she couldn't blame him. She had been too caught up in the moment and too drunk to think clearly. She needed to get out of the spotlight before she suffocated. She could use another drink.

Toshinori still held onto her hand, unwilling to let her go. He had known the moment she realized what was happening. He had felt her logic snap back into place and felt her drawing away from him as the crowd moved in. He tried to keep a hold of her, this was not how he wanted this to end. He had only hesitated earlier because he wasn't sure he would have been able to hold his form if he had felt the sweet pressure of her lips on his. He just needed to be alone with her. It's all he had really wanted the entire night, but the world seemed to be against him. If he could only have just swept her away, he could have explained it all too her. It was his damned affliction that had made him pull away!

"Maddie…" he said, trying to keep a hold of her hand as she pulled away. She met his gaze briefly, sadness in her eyes, and then she severed the link, disappearing into the crowd.

The people surrounding him now were telling him what a great dancer he was and that he paired well with Sapphire. Others were asking if he was dating her and still some were wanting a turn to dance with the hero. He tried being polite, putting on his hero smile and slipping back into the jovial All Might that they expected him to be. Inside he felt like a wreck. Why did he keep messing things up with her?

Present Mic was suddenly by his side and had to use his voice quirk to shoo the people away. "All right, all right. All Might would love to stay and dance with all of you, but that's really all he had time for tonight. Right big guy?"

"Oh yes, I'm afraid I must go," Toshinori boomed in his confident voice. "Thank you, good citizens, for having me at your party tonight!" He gave them a peace sign and they all cheered.

Mic escorted him away and whispered too him, "I see you're almost at your limit. You can go hang out on the private balcony. I'll try to get Maddie back to you. Good luck."

"Thanks, Hizashi," Toshinori said wearily.

Midnight found Maddie at the bar, drowning herself in liquor. She approached the deflated support hero and took the drink away from her. "Maddie, what are you doing?"

Maddie blinked up at her and smiled, "Nemuri! How the fuck are you?"

"Oh god," Midnight muttered. "Alright, come on, let's go."

"Where are we going?" Maddie slurred.

"You're going home, and All Might is taking you. He needs to talk to you alone."

A look of panic crossed Maddie's features. "Oh no, I don't think that's a good idea. I put myself out there for him. I sang a song and I danced and I…well he was the one who pulled the fuck back!"

"For good reason, you dumbass. He's reaching his power limit. You know how you make him feels. He would have lost it for sure."

"Well he hasn't told me how he feels so I'm just taking your word for it right now."

"Because you keep running away!" Midnight said in exasperation. "Just come, Mic said he's on the balcony, just talk to him one-on-one for once."

"Let me finish my drink."

"No, you've had enough. Let's go."

Maddie looked sadly at the rest of her drink as Midnight dragged her away. It's alright, she was at least properly soused now. She could take anything Toshinori had to say to her and dish it right back. Bring it on!

 **A/N: Thank you all for reading so far! The slow buuuuurn...I love it! Song lyrics used was Surrender by Cash Cash.**


	14. Surrender

Chapter 14: Surrender

Toshinori stood on the balcony of the night club, powered down to his thin form now and breathing in the night air, trying to relax a little. For some reason he was feeling overwhelmed, something he really wasn't used too. Being number one hero for so long with the entire world counting on you tended to make you used to the constant pressure, but Maddie seemed to escalate everything one hundred-fold. He was startled by a sudden crash and turned to see her arrive on the balcony, announcing her arrival by falling over a table.

"Shit," she grumbled, "who put that there."

Toshinori walked over to her and helped her up, righting the table in the process. "Are you alright," he asked.

"Yeah, sorry, Midnight shoved me out here and I guess I fell over that table," she lightly chuckled.

"Did you drink too much again?"

"Haha, yeah, I usually never do this. Must be something about this country," she looked up at his concerned face and felt guilty about trying to wash him away with alcohol. "I'm sorry, I'll try and do better. Anyway, you wanted to talk?"

"Uh, yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at her swirling eyes. "Though I don't really know how much you're going to remember. You look pretty drunk."

"Then it's perfect," she smiled

"This is serious, Maddie."

"Oho, now it's serious? Ok, you want to get serious, well tell me why then. Why are you so damn frustrating? I can't figure out what the fuck you want. First you try and kiss me, then you tell me to back off, then you dance with me, and then you pull back, and now you want to be serious?"

"Ever stopped to think you may be doing the exact same thing to me?"

"Well I don't see how that's possible when everyone keeps telling me I'm a perfect angel and I should stop doubting myself," she nearly yelled. "I have news for you all, I'm not fucking perfect! I've got a lot of issues. Why do you care so much anyways? You're All Might! You should be in there talking to all the famous people where you belong. Not out here, worrying about a drunk, crazy, anti-social support hero." She spun around as she ranted, coming close to the edge of the balcony and looking down into the street. She immediately collapsed to the ground, head spinning with the sudden realization she was up high on the second story of the club, her fear of heights enhanced by the alcohol in her bloodstream. She couldn't take it anymore. She had tried to stay strong and tried to keep her promise to herself that she wasn't going to cry in front of him, but she broke and the tears started flowing.

Toshinori was immediately at her side. He put his arms around her and drew her in close to his thin frame. "It's alright, I'm here," he said softly. "I'm so sorry if I caused any of this self-doubt you're experiencing. But I do care, and I can't stop caring for you. I think you're perfect just the way you are, flaws and all, no matter what you feel about yourself. It's not about being something you're not, it's about accepting and loving yourself for who you are."

She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shirt and he held her, trying to pour all his feelings for her through their embrace. She pushed her face into his neck, breathing heavily and trying to slow down her crying. "Will you take me home? I don't want to be here anymore. It's loud and... high," she managed to whisper.

"Ok," he said, "Hold on tight."

He powered up then and there. Using the last of his strength to lift her into the air and take off from the balcony. He didn't have much left in him, so he took her to the closest place, his penthouse apartment.

It was at the top of a nice apartment building downtown. He had his own private elevator and front porch, so most people wouldn't see him coming and going. It was mostly for show and because he had to have some sort of address. The truth was he hardly ever used the place, preferring to hang out at his hero agency or go on patrol. Though recently, with his power levels being reduced so drastically, he had frequented it more often. He landed on the front porch and unlocked the door with the hand print lock panel. Once inside, the automatic lights came on and he set Maddie down on the couch and powered back down to his true form with relief.

"Is this where you live?" she asked, looking around and distracted from her feelings by his apartment.

"Uh, sometimes," he shrugged. "Sorry, I didn't have enough power to take you home. Let me rest up a little and maybe I can manage it later."

"I can always take a cab," she said.

"Oh yeah," he chuckled nervously. "Um, would you like something to drink? Some water? I can show you around first before you go?"

"Sure, I'll take some water, thank you."

He got up and went to the kitchen and she had a better chance to really take his apartment in. It was beautiful. She could probably fit ten of her apartments in it. It was so spacious and clean cut, no clutter, everything crisp and new and in its place. Almost like a museum, like no one lived there. On one wall there were massive ceiling to floor windows that looked out over the city. She could see the twinkling lights of Musutafu City at night far below her. So enchanting. She didn't feel afraid of how high up the apartment was, it felt safe, and she gazed in wonder at the view.

She turned to him as he came out of the kitchen with a glass of water. "It's so beautiful. How do you ever leave this place?" she said, taking the offered glass.

"Well, to be honest I'm never really here. Uh, feel free to look around though," he offered.

She walked casually around a bit, still staggering a little from the alcohol. "You have a wall of fame," she lightly laughed, coming to one side of the room where he had his hero awards, posters, and news clippings posted on the wall and cabinets.

"Yeah, the decorator who did this apartment put all that up for me. I have the more personal thank you notes and cards in my bedroom. Kind of silly huh?"

"No, it's not silly to be proud of what you've accomplished," she said.

She moved on to the den area and he followed her nervously, elated she was here and showing so much interest in his home, yet nervous she was acting so calm. The den had some very modern yet plush looking couches and a fireplace with a mantle. Something caught Maddie's eye as she looked around the room and she moved to the mantle for a closer look. Right in the center of the mantle, in a place of honor, was a fragmented shell. She picked it up and turned it, watching the colors catch the light.

"Is this the shell I gave you on the beach? You kept it?" she asked, turning to face him and searching his shadowed eyes.

"Yes, of course I kept it," he said, staring right back at her. "Maybe it's the best way I can explain how much you mean too me. You've done more than you know, my life is better than it ever has been because you came back into it. Please don't look down on yourself or feel you aren't good enough. He took her hands in his and moved closer to her. You're a better person than I am. You're so beautiful, kind, and strong. Maddie, I'm in love with you," he finished quietly, daring to search her face for her reaction, fearing rejection, but fearing even more what would happen if he never told her. "I've wanted to tell you that for so long now."

She stared back at him for a split second before letting the sudden warmth and passion that blossomed in her heart at his words explode out of her chest. She leaned her head up and kissed him, pulling him close, pressing into his thin body and pulling his face down to meet hers. Her fingers threaded into his messy hair, pressing him closer and drawing in his warmth.

Toshinori's eyes widened in surprise, but it didn't take him long to reciprocate her sudden kiss. His arms were around her in an instant and he kissed her back, pulling her in a passionate embrace. His heart raced as her essence infused with his and his body was heated, longing for more of her. Her smell filled his senses and the taste of her lips and tongue made him feel drunk. Head spinning with passion and fireworks, he continued kissing her, not believing this was finally happening after wanting nothing else for so long.

She pushed him back onto the couch, just letting her passion and heart take over her logic. He fell backwards and she was immediately on top of him, kissing him heatedly, running her hands under his shirt and feeling his thin but firm chest under her fingertips. He pulled her down, pressing up into her and moaning at her touch. His big hands ran down the backs of her legs and up to her shapely butt.

Kissing her and drinking her in was the only thing on his mind, so it took him awhile to finally notice the blue swirling light surrounding her hands and the energizing feeling he was receiving from her healing touch. Then he noticed the glowing dancing streams of water swirling around his apartment and it dawned on him that she was losing control of her quirk. He did the hardest thing he had ever had to do and broke the kiss, bringing his hands back up to her face and breathing heavily with desire, trying to hold himself back. He had just remembered she was drunk and probably not thinking clearly. As much as he'd love to see where the rest of the night led too, it wouldn't be right to take advantage of her in this state, and it wouldn't be what he wanted. She wasn't sober enough to give herself over to him willingly with consent. He had too much honor to just take it.

"Maddie," he whispered her name, opening his eyes and trying to get her attention. "Hey, your quirk is getting out of control," he managed to say as she continued to push him and grind on him, arousing him and continuing to make his task damn near impossible.

"It's ok," she mumbled. "I don't want to stop." Her lips locked with his again and he started giving in, but managed to push back though her intoxicating aroma, breaking off from her again.

"I don't want to either, but I don't think you're thinking clearly. We should probably get you home, ok?" he breathed.

She breathed out a heavy sigh, eyes half lidded and smiled. "Ok, anything for you, Toshi," she said and then promptly passed out on his chest.

His head was swimming with disappointment and relief as he lay on the couch with Maddie sleeping on his chest. The swirling water had splatted to the floor. After a minute of catching his breath and slowly trying to cool the heat in his body down, he let his hand that was still up her dress trail lightly down the smooth skin of her leg and smiled to himself. He couldn't believe she had made out with him! He hadn't even been in his more attractive form! It had been incredible, a moment he would remember forever. His heart still beat with the passion he felt for her.

She snored softly on his chest and he figured he better get her somewhere more comfortable. She was out cold, nothing was waking her up, so he decided he better not try to get her home. Besides, she'd probably feel sick in the morning and she may need him. He managed to pick her up off the couch and take her to his room, laying her gently down on the bed and taking off her shoes. He covered her with the blanket and stroked her hair from her face, kissing her on the forehead before leaving the room and closing the door. He'd sleep on the couch.

* * *

The next morning Maddie woke up to a splitting headache. She whimpered in pain and began immediately using her quirk to draw in water to rehydrate her dried up brain. Once the pain was slightly more manageable, she slowly opened her eyes to the morning light and groaned again as it hit her pupils. She squinted, but then her eyes immediately shot back open and her heart skipped a beat as she realized she had no idea where she was.

 _What had happened? Why did her head hurt? Where the fuck was she?_ She racked her brain trying to remember what had happened last night in a panic. There was a party, Midnight's party...she sang a song...she danced? Toshinori was there? A warm feeling in her chest washed over her when she thought of Toshinori. _Now why was that?_ _Wasn't she upset with him?_ She glanced around the room, taking in the blue-gray sheets and comforter that were not hers on a very large king-sized bed that wasn't hers. The room wasn't as cluttered as hers either. Everything looked clean and neat and fit together nicely. She glanced to one of the walls and saw that it was probably the most disorganized thing in the room. Hung all over it was what looked like a collage of thank you cards, notes, and pictures, all addressed to...All Might. She heard sounds beyond the door of the room like someone else was there...but just as she started making sense of her surroundings, the extreme need to expel the insides of her stomach arose and she bolted out of the bed and into what looked like a restroom. She proceeded to barf up everything in her stomach into the nearest toilet, groaning in pain in the process with tears pouring down her face. This had to be the worst hangover she had ever had!

Soon, footsteps came hurrying towards her and she didn't have time to find out who it was or defend herself before thin gangly arms were wrapped around her shoulders and someone had pulled her hair back from her face. She leaned back into the strangely familiar thin frame and breathed in the familiar scent of Toshinori Yagi as he spoke soft encouraging words to her while she was sick. Her mind couldn't register what he was saying, all it could do was wonder over and over why he was here and why her body and senses seemed so familiar and connected with him.

When she was finally done being sick, she leaned back from the toilet with her eyes closed and let him hold her on the bathroom floor, beyond grateful for the comfort he was providing though her mind still couldn't comprehend why.

"You alright now, Bubbles?" she finally heard his words forming in her head and she opened her eyes to see his gaunt face so close to hers.

She nodded slowly, lifting her head off his chest to rub her eyes out a little. "Toshi? Where are we? What am I doing here? What happened?" she said wearily.

"You don't remember," he said with a voice filled with sadness, and downturned eyes.

"I'm sorry, I don't," she said a growing feeling of dread that something had happened filled her mind. "I know there was a party and I remember singing for the audience and dancing with you, but not that much after that. Just feelings, you know? Did I pass out and you had to take me here? Is this your house?"

"Yeah, it's my apartment," he sighed heavily. "I didn't think you could go home so I let you sleep here. Basically, what you said is what happened, though you were awake for a little while when I brought you here."

"Uh oh, what did I do?"

"You just toured my place a little and then...uh, you know what, let's get you some coffee, it will brighten you up."

He stood and lifted her up off the floor with him, guiding her to the kitchen. As she moved through the apartment, feelings from the night before began to come back to her. The view from the big windows was beautiful at night...the wall with his trophies felt somewhat silly but honorable. They walked into the kitchen and she inspected it as he poured her some coffee. It was very big and modern with all the latest tech. It was also very clean. If this was what he was used to, he must feel kind of grossed out whenever he visited her apartment.

"Here," he said, handing her a Plus Ultra mug, "Cream and sugar, right?"

"Right? How did you know?"

"I've seen you make it in the teachers' lounge before."

Toshinori got his own coffee and stood across from her, taking a sip. He seemed a little moody and disappointed for some reason, but she could tell he was trying to cover it with a happy smile.

"Your place is beautiful," she said, watching his reaction and drinking her coffee. "Makes mine look like a dump," she smirked.

"Well, I am the number one hero," he chuckled, "but I like your place better, it's homier. This place feels so lonely sometimes, like a museum."

"I've been getting these feelings when I'm in certain places here, like I remember the way I felt, just not the events. Like your windows, I remember feeling awe, like I thought they were really beautiful," Maddie said, bringing up the topic.

"Hmm, that is interesting," Toshinori replied to his coffee mug.

"Maybe if I walk around some I can try and remember more," she suggested.

"Uh, you don't have too, but I won't stop you," he said, seemingly flustered.

She began walking around the room pausing at different places and running her hands over things. He followed her when she got too the den. The couch looked disrupted, like he had slept on it last night...and then she saw the shell fragment on the mantle.

"The shell..." she said picking it up and feeling it. "I remember this..." She turned around and he was right behind her, that familiar feeling rushed through her...warm...close.

"Do you remember?" he almost whispered.

She backed off, now that she was thinking with her head and not her heart things were getting complicated. She was here asleep in his bed, he had held her in his arms while she had been sick and he had felt so good and familiar. He had seemed sad when she had told him she couldn't remember anything and flustered when she had tried getting her memories back. Something had definitely happened and he didn't want to tell her, but she could see it in his eyes.

"I kissed you, didn't I?" she finally said. He swallowed and nodded. Looking back up at her, searching her face for any clues as to how she was feeling.

"Well," she let out a sigh, "was that all I did? I'd kind of like to know how crazy I got," she asked, trying to make light of the subject with a little laugh. "Was I any good?" _Oh god did she sleep with him?_

He laughed nervously and went to sit on the couch, thankful she seemed to be taking it well and not blaming him. "All we did was make out a little until your quirk started going crazy. Then I stopped us and you passed out. But, uh, you were really good. It took all I had to stop it before it went any farther."

She swallowed too, _thank god that's all it was_. "Well, thank you for stopping me. Not that there's anything wrong with you, but I wouldn't have wanted to go too far without being in my right mind. That was very honorable of you. I'm sure most men would have just let it happen."

He smiled unsure of what to say.

"And uh, I'm very sorry. I wasn't in my right mind. That was completely inappropriate of me to get so drunk that I don't remember half the night and then make out with a friend and co-worker, not to mention the most well-known hero in the world, haha!" she nervously laughed at herself and started pacing. She was never going to get drunk again!

"You don't have to apologize. You didn't do any harm. Besides, there's no law that says you can't make out with the number one hero," he smiled trying to calm her down.

"Yeah well, it just feels wrong for some reason."

"Well it was the alcohol, right? Maybe you just have a drinking problem?" he said in jest.

"Drinking problem? Ugh, no I don't have a drinking problem, I have a Toshinori Yagi problem."

"What?"

"Sorry, my head just really hurts. Look this is a little awkward for me, I should probably just go home so I can try to sort it all out. Sorry, I'm really sorry," she said, suddenly feeling like she needed to get away before she said or did something she would regret.

"Maddie, I want to help you," he said grabbing her wrist as she moved to pick up her things.

"I know you do Toshi, but sometimes I need to help myself first," she said sadly. "Thank you for everything...and again, I'm sorry for last night."

"I'm not," he said as she moved towards the door.

She turned back, looking him in the eyes, slightly startled by his abruptness. He wasn't lying or saying it to make her feel better. His eyes were begging her to stay, but ultimately her flight reflex took over and she knew she had to run again. She took a careful step towards him and lifted her hand that he was still holding up to his face, stroking his protruding cheekbone with her thumb. Her blue eyes looked into his, willing him to understand, _she just needed to be alone for a while_. His sadness was overwhelming, his need for her to stay pressured her, but she ultimately dropped her hand and then left out his front door. She guessed she wasn't brave enough after all. She was only a support hero.

Toshinori sighed, sitting on the couch and putting his face in his hands. _Wow, he had really screwed that up,_ he sarcastically chuckled to himself. His heart hurt, he needed to clear his head. How many more times was she going to reject him like that? He realized suddenly that he didn't care. He wasn't going to give up on her, he was in too deep. He loved her. Besides, a hero never gives up.

 **A/N: ;)**


	15. The Aftermath

Chapter 15: The Aftermath

Maddie deliberately made herself scarce from her friends and Toshinori for the remainder of the internship week. Neither Midnight or Present Mic said anything about the night of the party, so Toshinori obviously hadn't talked to anyone about it. Her friends could tell from her demeanor when they tried to bring it up that it was a topic she did not want to discuss. She kept mostly to herself, walking with Jack and thinking about her relationship with Toshinori over and over again. There wasn't anything else on her mind., and as hard as she tried, she couldn't figure out exactly how she felt about him. Was it just the alcohol and her insecurities that had made her fall into his arms the other night or did she actually have feelings for him she was continuing to repress? If she did have feelings for him, could he really reciprocate them? He was famous, was it a good idea that he date someone like her? Did she want to be pulled even deeper into his crazy fan-filled life? Did he love her, or was he just taken up by the moment? Until she could figure it all out in her head, she decided to stay away from him for the time being.

Her selfish thoughts were interrupted, however, when she got the news about Hosu City and the students who were involved. Apparently, the Hero Killer Stain who had been growing in popularity recently and who had horribly injured Tenya Iida's big brother, had attacked and injured three of her students. Of course, one of them was Midoriya.

She soon found herself at the hospital Midoriya and his classmates, Iida and Todoroki, were being kept at. She walked into the recovery wing and was surprised when a short grizzly man all dressed in yellow nearly attacked her. He slammed into her legs out of nowhere and she yelped as she dodged out of the way.

"Oops, sorry there, young lady. I thought you were someone else. I don't regret bumping into you, though. You sure are pretty," the old man smirked, then he squinted his eyes as he studied her. "Wait…that is you isn't it? Well, well, little miss Maddie McLaren from America. Almost didn't recognize you by your little dodge there. You never could avoid my attacks."

"What is your problem?! Who are you? How do you know my name?" Maddie said in surprise…then she got a better look at the old man's scowl and gasped. "Mr. Gran Torino?!"

"That's right, what did you think I wouldn't recognize you after all these years? I've got an excellent memory I'll have you know. What was it, uh, water quirk, right?" he huffed.

"Wow, sir, I didn't realize it was you. I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!" Maddie started bowing nervously, praying she hadn't offended her very scary and strict old high school teacher. He had taught her a few times the semester she had studied abroad at UA and she couldn't forget the lessons he had pounded into her head, literally.

"Oh, it's alright, stop groveling. I swear, you're just like Toshinori."

"Toshinori?" she said, her stomach taking a dive. Was he here too? She should have expected it, Midoriya was hurt after all.

"Hey, the two of you are both teaching at UA now, right? You've been fraternizing with your old high school crush then, eh?"

Maddie turned beet red and began stammering. "Uh, um, you see…"

"Aha! A bit more than just fraternizing I see," Gran Torino said with suspicion.

"Mr. Gran Torino," she finally managed after taking a few breaths to calm down, "It's nice to see you after all these years. What are you doing here anyways, sir?"

"Oh, that young prodigy of Toshinori's is my student."

"Midoriya?"

"That's the kid. I agreed to teach him a thing or two since god knows Toshinori's a horrible teacher. Poor boy needed some help."

Maddie blushed again. She didn't think Toshinori was a terrible teacher.

"Anyway, the boy's my responsibility, so I'm keeping an eye on him. That was quite the fight those kids got themselves into."

"You were there?" Maddie asked, curious.

"Yes, for some of it. They did most of the work for us pro heroes. Brave stupid kids. Toshinori was pretty upset that he wasn't there when he heard about it. He's working with the police right now to try and help clear the mess up," Gran Torino explained.

"Wow," Maddie replied, suddenly deep in thought.

"Well, what are you standing there gaping about? Are you gonna think about it or are you going to act on it? Still relying too much on your head and not enough on your heart, eh? All these years and you still haven't learned."

Maddie stared at him in shock, wondering if he had some sort of hidden mind reading quirk. His words seemed to strike directly at the current problems she was having in her life. Was that all that was really the matter? Was she too dependent on logic and overthinking that she was holding herself back?

Gran Torino shook his head and continued, "I assume you're here to visit your students, so go visit them already. I'll be around if you need anything."

"Yes, sir! Sorry, sir!" Maddie snapped to attention.

"Ah, stop that nonsense, I swear you're just like Toshinori…and now even Midoriya!" Gran Torino complained.

Maddie scampered off with more apologetic bowing until her old instructor was out of sight. _Geez he was scary!_ And he was teaching Midoriya? Maybe he could help the boy out with his power problem. At any rate, Gran Torino's words had struck her and stung with truth. _Still relying too much on your head and not your heart._ He was right, she still hadn't learned that lesson.

The boy with the messy green hair smiled as she entered the hospital recovery room and she was struck by how much he reminded her of Toshinori and his goofy smiles. For some reason it made her happy. Iida came to attention at the sight of her and bowed with respect while Todoroki simply watched her with his cold steady gaze.

"Ms. Sapphire!" Midoriya exclaimed happily, "Have you come to visit us?"

"Professor Sapphire, you honor us with your visit!" Iida bowed. _So intense!_

Todoroki did not comment but nodded his head to her in acknowledgment.

"Hello boys, yes I just came to make sure you three were doing alright. I feel really bad about what happened to you. You shouldn't have had to go through all that. Us adults should have been there for you, and I'm sorry it turned out this way," she said to them.

"It was all my fault, Miss. I was the one who insisted on foolishly trying to seek revenge for my older brother. It wasn't very hero-like, and I got Midoriya and Todoroki hurt in the process. I promise to never do something like this again," Iida said, head bowed so low that it was almost touching the ground.

"It's alright to make mistakes, Tenya, as long as you take responsibility and learn from them," Maddie told him, lifting him from his bow. "Now why don't you sit back down, you look exhausted."

"Yes, ma'm!" the rigid young man announced.

"Well, I'm glad to see you three are doing alright. When are you going to be released? Will you be able to finish your internships?"

"Hopefully soon, but I don't think we will have that much more time to work as interns after that. School will start back up," Todoroki answered in his low even tones.

"I see, anything else I can do for you? Any messages I can give to anybody?" Maddie asked.

"All Might hasn't been able to come see us, you could tell him that we're ok," Midoriya suggested.

Maddie's heart skipped at the thought of talking to Toshinori, but she nodded to Midoriya, "I'll see that I do, Izuku."

* * *

Internship week was coming to an end and Maddie found herself up at the school preparing to receive the hero students back and catch them up on what they had missed during the week. She had still taught a few science classes to the other groups of students over the week, but she had tried to keep new material to a minimum so it wouldn't be as hard to catch the forty hero class students back up. She was currently leaning against a wall outside on UA campus, reading yet another story about Stain the hero killer in disgust. She supposed she could see why so many people were enamored with him, but she couldn't understand why anyone would promote the destruction and murder of heroes, the very people who wanted nothing but to save their lives and protect them. Was she developing more of a soft spot for pro heroes over her time spent working at UA? Perhaps she was. She was friends with so many of them now and she was beginning to see that they really weren't all about the glory like she had thought they were. It just came with the job and was sort of forced on them, though some did enjoy it more than others.

It was late in the evening and the sun was starting to set, casting a fantastic orange glow over the grounds of the school. She looked up from her phone, feeling the breeze on her face and taking in her surroundings, trying to bring calm and peace to her soul. Heavy footsteps approached her and she turned her head to see Toshinori, powered up and in hero costume, walking towards her. His hair blew in the breeze, dancing on top of his head, and he smiled when he saw her, though she thought his smile wasn't as confident as usual.

"Good evening, Maddie, I thought you would have gone home by now. I haven't seen you in a while," the big muscled hero said once he reached her.

"I have been leaving early all week, but for some reason I felt like staying late today," she replied, trying to keep her cool and trying to keep it professional, though inside she was fighting between getting the hell out of there or falling into his arms and just letting all of her pent-up feelings out into his broad chest.

"I see. Uh, how've you been?" he asked.

"Well, I went and visited Todoroki, Iida, and Midoriya in the hospital. They asked me to tell you they were doing fine."

"That's good to know. How's Midoriya looking?"

"Surprisingly not as beat up as I expected," she said with raised eyebrows.

"That's great," Toshinori said happily. "Perhaps my old teacher is teaching him a thing or two that I couldn't."

"I actually saw Gran Torino at the hospital."

"Really? Scary, right? Did he recognize you?" Toshinori asked with interest.

Maddie laughed, "Yeah, just as I remembered him. He recognized me after just a while. He said he was impressed that I dodged him since I never could back in school."

Toshinori laughed too, a big heartfelt sound that felt good to let out. It was nice to have a friendly conversation with her again and she seemed to be doing better and more relaxed. "I remember how hard you would always try to beat my records, and he would always catch you!"

"Yeah, he was fast alright," Maddie smiled remembering back to those days. "I remember how much it annoyed me that you were better than anyone at the school. I always wanted to beat you."

"And I just wanted to get to know you better," Toshinori pointed out.

"Well, you know me pretty well now, still like what you see?"

"You know I do," he answered.

Maddie smiled a little sadly this time and didn't answer.

"Listen, I know you probably have to get home now, but I'll see you again soon, right?" Toshinori asked, taking a step closer to her.

"Yeah," she said, "You'll see me again soon."

He didn't bring up the other night, he hadn't wanted too and didn't think he should. He wanted to try and do things the right way and make sure she was still comfortable with him before he tried again. That being said, he couldn't help but move forward and pull her into an embrace, holding her for a while in his arms. She didn't resist, but lay her head on his chest, taking a deep breath and a sigh. She felt safe in his arms.

"Good," he said to the top of her head. "I really missed you these last couple of days. I almost thought you'd never want to see me again."

"Sorry about that," she replied, pulling back from his chest and looking up at him. "I'm better now. I just needed some time to alone to think about some things."

"I'm glad you're doing better," he said, releasing her from the hug.

"Have a good night, Muscles," she said, walking away from him.

"You too, Bubbles," he replied. He stood there for a while longer, watching her slowly walk away.

* * *

Later that night, Toshinori sat in his apartment with a cup of coffee, contemplating his life and the events that had happened in the last month. He hadn't slept in his bed since she had been in it, he didn't know why, but he felt like he didn't want to disturb the area where she had been. It stilled smelled like her. Perhaps he was just being ridiculous. What really bothered him was how distracting she was. He should be focusing on being a pro hero and on teaching young Midoriya, but his thoughts always drifted to her no matter where he was and what he was doing. It made him feel guilty and like he wasn't giving his all to his tasks when she was always on his mind. He spun the shell fragment around in his hand, smiling when he thought of how much she had helped him and how much confidence he had regained since meeting her. She had shown him that his life still had meaning and that he could still do some good despite his injuries. Maddie had given him hope and Midoriya had given him purpose. He didn't know what he would do without those two. Now he just had to figure out how he was going to keep Maddie in his life. He didn't want to live without her.

His doorbell rang and he got up off the couch to answer it. "Ah, Tsukauchi, please come in," Toshinori said with a smile as he greeted his police friend at the door.

"Hey, All Might," Tsukauchi said as he came into the apartment. "How've you been? Is that coffee brewing that I smell?"

"You've got a good nose on you," Toshinori grinned. "I'll make you a cup. Go ahead and have a seat."

"Ok thanks," Tsukauchi said, walking into the apartment.

Toshinori came back with a hot cup of coffee for his friend and sat down across from him. "This is pretty good," Tsukauchi said as he sipped it.

"So how's the case going? Did Hosu help with any leads?" Toshinori asked.

"Not too much. We think the league of villains was involved due to all the nomu. Though Stain claims he's not involved with them," Tsukauchi answered. "But you already knew most of that, so what did you really ask me over here for?"

"Well," Toshinori said nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess I needed someone to talk to. I'm, uh, having…girl problems."

Tsukauchi choked on his coffee. "Girl problems?" he finally managed to ask, waving Toshinori's concern over his choking away. "Sorry, it just surprises me coming from you."

"How so?"

"Well, one, you like never talk about this kind of stuff. It's usually pretty professional with you. And Two," Tsukauchi emphasized by holding up two fingers, "you're All Might. How is it possible you have girl problems? You can have any girl you want."

Toshinori sighed. "Maybe, but it's not so easy with this one."

"Oh, so you're hung up on a particular one I see. Well, if we're going to do this then we might as well do it right," Tsukauchi said and settled back into the couch. "Let's have some bro talk. Now, I want to give you a disclaimer up front, I'm certainly no expert on women, but if you just need someone to talk to then I'm here for you, buddy."

"Thanks, it means a lot. This is kind of difficult. Like you said, I don't really do this," Toshinori said to his hands.

"Anything you say to me will not leave this room. You have my discretion," Tsukauchi added. "So tell me about her. Oh, wait, wait, it's the little UA science teacher isn't it? Ms. Sapphire, right?"

Toshinori sighed and nodded, "Yeah, Maddie McLaren."

"Let's see, my first impressions were," Tsukauchi looked up to the ceiling recalling the times he had interacted with her, "bombshell blonde, fascinating and applicable quirk, considerate and caring, and just a little bit stubborn."

"Yes, yes, yes and definitely yes," Toshinori counted off with a chuckle.

"I feel like the stubborn part is your main problem, but let me ask you first, how do you feel about her? Be honest."

"Well, I'm in love with her."

"I see," Tsukauchi said, reverting to his detective skills. "That's a pretty big claim. What makes you so sure?"

"I'm probably more sure about it than most things in my life. She's beautiful and strong, she makes a great teacher and really cares about the kids and her job. She's got so much more power than she lets on, but she's afraid to use it. She's smart and independent which makes it hard to get close to her because she thinks she can take care of herself and deal with any problem on her own. She's convinced herself that she doesn't need anyone in her life. Her personal walls are built thick and tall, they're hard to get over. She's an over-thinker and rarely acts on her heart, but when she lets her guard down, she shines like a thousand stars. Her smile and laugh and that sparkle in her eyes are mesmerizing. Her body is so soft and warm, not to mention her butt is fantastic."

Tsukauchi chuckled to himself at how animated his friend was getting while talking about Maddie. He really was in love with this girl. He continued to listen to Toshinori as he started talking again. It was good to let his friend get all this off his chest.

"I can't get her out of my head," Toshinori continued. "Just knowing that she's not mine is agonizing. I stay up thinking about how close I could be to losing her."

"Soooo, what's the problem here?" Tsukauchi asked. "If you love her so much why not go after her?"

"I've made some mistakes and I've pushed her too far at points. I didn't listen to Recovery Girl when she told me to take it slow and let Maddie come to me," Toshinori chuckled angrily to himself. "I went after her right away, even though I knew she was annoyed with me from the start. It's just, she started coming around after the USJ incident and we were really having a good time together. I just didn't realize she needed more time, I was too eager and I pushed her too much. Do you think I can come back from that?"

"I mean, shit, have you told her any of this? Because if you talked like that to me, I'd be head over heels for you right here and now," Tsukauchi answered in disbelief.

Toshinori laughed and then sadly shook his head. "No, I haven't had much chance to tell her how I feel. I mean, I told her that I loved her once but she was drunk and she doesn't remember."

"Well, maybe that's your problem. I mean, you just dived into her soul and told me all about his girl. I feel like I know her just from listening to you. I think she needs to know. Tell her everything you told me so she can see how much you care for her and how much you notice and pay attention too."

"I know, you're right," Toshinori clasped his hands together.

"Oh, and, ask her out on a date. If you're concerned you messed up then start over and do it the old fashion way. Just walk up to her, tell her you like her and want to get to know her better and ask her out. Works for me all the time. Then, once she agrees, you can tell her all your heartfelt feelings. It's up to her to decide if she feels the same and wants to continue dating you. If she doesn't, then you need to back away gracefully. I know it will hurt a lot, but that's all you can do. The more you push her the more she's going to resent you."

Toshinori nodded, "Well thanks, Tsukauchi. This actually really helped, and I think you're right, I really just need to sit down with her and tell her everything don't I?"

"Yes, you do, and be prepared to accept whatever she has to say about it. Also, buy her some flowers and crap like that. Girls love that stuff," Tsukauchi affirmed. "I know it seems difficult right now, but you know, I'm really happy that you've found someone, All Might. I was beginning to worry about you."

"What? That I'd die miserable and alone?"

"Yeah basically, but I'd like to think I would step in at some point before then," Tsukauchi laughed.

"Well I would hope so," Toshinori agreed with a smile.

* * *

Toshinori stood out in the training arena during the first hero course class since the student internships. He was all powered up and wearing his hero costume, ready for his first lesson after quite a while. Midoriya, Todoroki, and Iida were all back in class and ready to train as well, recovered enough from their injuries. After greeting his students, Toshinori explained the lesson for the day, an obstacle race on training field Gamma. Teams of five would race each other to see who would "rescue" him first. The first person to reach him would be the winner.

"All right, first group get to your places!" Toshinori announced, turning around to head out into the training field. Before he could make a move, he was startled by a bright flash of water which delivered a soaking wet Maddie right next to him, splashing him with water in the process. He couldn't help but yell a little in surprise by her abrupt entrance. The students snickered a little at his overreaction and his now soaked costume, after they got over their own shock from Maddie's arrival.

"Hello Class 1-A! All Might! I'm here to assist with today's lesson if that's alright with you all," Maddie announced with a broad smile and hands on her hips. "Oh, oops, sorry for splashing you, All Might," she added and activated her quirk, drying up all the water damage she had caused and storing it in her hero costume.

"Uh, it's no problem," Toshinori stuttered still trying to get over her being there so soon after his late night talk with Tsukauchi was still so fresh in his mind. "So, why are you here again?"

"Oh, well, I've canceled some of my science classes so that the hero classes have a chance to catch up a little. I didn't have anything else better to do, so Recover Girl suggested I observe a hero class and lend my assistance if needed. I'd love to see how everyone's developed their quirks after the sports festival," Maddie answered in her happy chipper voice.

"Well, in that case I don't see why not," Toshinori agreed, still slightly confused. She seemed unusually positive today. "What do you think class?"

"Yeah!" the class answered in unison.

"Ok then, first group take your places. Sapphire and I will go out into the field and wait for you to come save us."

The first five students, Midoriya, Ashido, Ojiro, Iida, and Sero all scampered off into the training field while Toshinori leapt into the maze of pipes known as field Gamma to find a good spot. Maddie followed him, using her water quirk to jet herself after him and try to keep up with his insane speed. They finally reached a good advantageous spot where they could watch the students' progress through the course.

"Is everyone ready? Begin!" Toshinori announced in his loud heroic voice. He pushed down on a red button and the start sound resounded through the field.

"Well, this is exciting!" Maddie said happily.

The students started moving forward and Maddie kept her eye on Sero, who she thought would have an excellent chance of winning. However, suddenly a bright surge of green erupted and her eyes were drawn to Midoriya who was shooting and jumping forward at incredible speed. His whole body pulsated with green lightning charge as he leapt forward and ran with determination. He hadn't hurt himself or broke a single bone! _Wow_ …she thought. Gran Torino really did do him some good. The students were getting closer and it looked like Midoriya might actually win, but then to Maddie's dismay, she saw him slip on a pipe and fall backwards, giving Sero the lead.

"And it's over!" All Might announced as Sero reached them first. "Thanks hero, and congratulations!" he said to Sero, handing him a banner with the words "thank you for saving me" written across it. The students cheered as Midoriya lay faceplanted into the ground with Iida consoling him on his loss.

"Young Sero may have come in first, but compared to the start of the year, you students have shown me some incredible improvement. Keep working and preparing for your upcoming final exams!" Toshinori said.

"Sir!" the students responded.

"Group one, leave the field. You're up group two!" Toshinori announced.

The students made their way back to the group, but Midoriya seemed to be lagging behind, still trying to get up off the ground. Toshinori turned towards the boy and said quietly too him, "You surprised me, that was incredible. Find me after class, we need to talk."

Maddie thought she heard some of what he said to Midoriya, but she drew her focus away since it sounded personal. She needed to stop butting in so much.

The rest of the class tried their hand at the course and Maddie was very impressed with them all and their progress. Toshinori was excited as well. He stood tall and strong by her side, focusing on his students, but she thought she felt his eyes on her several times when she wasn't looking. She smiled to herself, thinking about him and all they had been through since she had moved here. Standing next to him like this, working closely alongside him and feeling like she was on his team…it just felt right.

Being here, after so much had happened in these past short months and trying to figure it all out, she couldn't deny how much she had changed because of him.

He was breaking down her walls and setting her free from the prison she had created for herself. She had tried so hard all her life to do things herself. She had told herself she didn't need to rely on anybody, but here he was, with his smile and his warmth, breaking down those barriers and pushing himself into her life. She realized she didn't want to do it alone anymore. Maybe leaning on someone sometimes and allowing someone into your life that you could trust wasn't so bad after all. _Stop thinking with you head and start acting with your heart!_

Toshinori glanced down at the woman at his side. She seemed deep in thought, staring out over the mock battlefield with the wind tossing her gold hair and the sun shining on her blue eyes. She was so beautiful. He longed to be near her again and to feel her pressed up against him, but he was going to do things right this time, and this was the perfect opportunity to act on what he had discussed with his friend last night. It was like her being here today was a sign to push forward with his plans.

"Maddie, can I talk to you after school?' he asked her.

She turned to look at him, shaken from her thoughts by his voice. "Alright."

 **A/N: Sorry it took me a lot longer to post this next chapter…I've been a little sick, but I'm recovered now!**


	16. First Date

Chapter 16: First Date

Toshinori watched Midoriya walk down the hallway after their important talk about the origins of One For All. He hadn't been able to reveal everything to the young boy, as much as he wanted too. He hadn't been able to say the words. Midoriya was filled with hope for the future and assumed that Toshinori would always be there to guide him, but unfortunately that wasn't the truth. By the time he had to face All For One, Toshinori may not be able to be there for him. The thought weighed heavy on his heart. He wasn't sure how much time he had left. He realized with a pang to his chest that it wouldn't affect only Midoriya. Maddie was caught up in his downward spiraling existence as well. Maybe he should have never initiated anything with her. Why hadn't he thought about that before? Was he just going to break her heart? No. He owed it to her to see this through and he wasn't going to back down now. He would survive and keep pushing forward no matter how bad things got. For both of them.

The broken scarecrow of a man took a deep breath and tried to calm his pounding heart, preparing to go talk to Maddie next. _You're a hero. Think confident thoughts! Take a deep breath! You can do this!_ The worst she could do was say no…and that would break him. He sighed and started to head to Maddie's classroom.

It was late in the evening and the orange glow of the setting sun was already fading from the windows of Maddie's classroom. She knew Toshinori still wanted to talk to her but that he had needed to talk to Midoriya first, so she decided to camp out in her classroom and grade some papers.

A soft hesitant knock rapped on her door followed by a powered down Toshiori wearing that ridiculous yellow suit again… though it was actually starting to grow on her. "Maddie?" he called, checking to see if she was in the room.

Her heart started pounding faster and she felt her cheeks get hot. _What did he want to say to her?_ "Hey, Toshi," she said, "I'm here."

She stood to meet him and he approached her, taking a deep breath and striding confidently forward, though she could see the bead of nervous sweat on his face.

"How was Midoriya? Not too disappointed by today I hope?" Maddie asked casually, trying to lighten the mood.

"Go out on a date with me," Toshinori said abruptly, ignoring her question and staring straight into her eyes. If he didn't just outright say it now, he never would.

Maddie took a sharp breath in and then clamped her mouth shut. Her eyes met his and a stunned look crossed her face.

"A real date," he continued, "Not a friendly talk, or a training session, or just grabbing coffee, or a drunken hook up. I'm talking dress up nice and fancy food and romantic walk on the beach kind of date."

"Toshi…" she started to say quietly, but he didn't want to hear it.

"Don't say no. Just once let me take you out the right way, and after that if you decide you don't feel the same way I do, then I'll respect your feelings. But if there's even a chance that you do feel the same, then I don't want to let that go. I want to be what you need, give me a chance to show you I can," he finished adamantly.

She could feel the intensity and heat rolling off of him in waves and she knew she was attracted to him, she knew she wanted to be with him, but was it just a hot raging emotion or could this be something they could make work? She needed to know and she assumed he did too.

"All right, I'll go out with you," she whispered.

His face flooded with visible relief and overwhelming happiness. He smiled and leaned forward, kissing her lightly on the forehead. Wishing he could do more, but holding himself back, realizing he needed to build this relationship the right way. He needed her to know it wasn't just carnal or a passing fling. He truly cared about her and wanted to be foremost in her life.

"Thank you, I'll see you later then," he said. He was beaming inside, he couldn't believe she had agreed! He actually had a chance with her and he hoped he wouldn't mess it up.

Toshinori turned and left the classroom, leaving Maddie in a state of pleasant shock. That had escalated quickly! She wondered what had brought it all on…wait, oh my God! She had just agreed to go on a date with All Might! The sudden realization of it hit her hard and she nearly audibly squealed, not sure if she should feel shocked and confused or elated and giddy. Maybe both? This was the real thing. He was right, all the times they had been together before had not held as much impact as this date would. She wouldn't be able to brush off and ignore feelings anymore. He had officially asked her out and had made his feelings for her known. Now it was her turn. She supposed she would just have to see how the date goes. _Hmmm…what should she wear?_ She should call Midnight.

Outside the classroom, Toshinori Yagi leaned back against a wall and sighed, heart pounding and eyes closed, sinking into the sturdy surface. _He had done it!_ Now he just had to figure out where he was going to take her. Maybe Tsukauchi could help. He needed to talk to someone anyways. This was the best news in a while and he couldn't keep it all to himself. Besides, he hadn't been out on a date in a long time and he was sure he was a little rusty. He probably wouldn't be able to sleep that night, too eager for the day to finally come that he could spend with her and show her how much he loved her.

* * *

Maddie paced her apartment nervously waiting for her date to arrive. She was all dressed up in a blue figure flattering dress that Midnight had helped her choose and she had actually put more effort than usual into her makeup. She didn't know why her nerves were so on edge. It was only Toshinori. She knew him and they were good friends, but for some reason she couldn't stop the flutters in her chest. Would he like her dress? Would she be able to hold a good conversation? Would she be appropriately funny? She really wanted this date to go well…she did really like him…

She made herself blush just thinking about her feelings for him, and then tried to take some deep breaths to regain composure. The knock on the door at exactly the correct time, however, ruined all that. She nearly jumped to open it, but tried to hold herself back just a bit and then calmly open the door with shaky hands.

Toshinori's eyes met hers, but he couldn't help himself from letting them travel down her figure and back up again for just an instant. She was breathtaking as always. "Good evening, Bubbles. Ready?"

Maddie's smile stretched broadly across her face at the sight of him, and despite trying to keep herself composed, her heart beat a mile a minute after hearing his deep voice. He stood in her doorway in a black suit and red tie, fully powered up, his muscles barely contained by his suit jacket.

"Yes, I believe I'm ready, Muscles," she replied.

"For you," he said, bringing a dozen red roses and a box of chocolate out from behind his back and handing them to her.

"Wow," she said, smelling the flowers, "I should go out on dates with you more often. Thank you."

"You really should," Toshinori laughed. _Score one with the flowers!_

"Aren't you worried about being here at my little apartment all powered up? Won't people recognize you?"

"No, I'm not ashamed of going out with you. In fact, I want the whole world to know! Unless of course you don't," he finished quickly.

"Uh, no, I don't mind so much anymore actually," she chuckled, blushing at his sweet comments. It was nice to be so highly thought of by him. "Let me go put these gifts back in the apartment and then we can go. Would you like to come in?"

"Sure, I'd like to say hello to little Jack if you don't mind," he answered.

She nodded and opened the door wide so he could squeeze his large frame through. Jack approached the big man, wagging his tail and panting excitedly as Toshinori pet him with his large hands.

"At least he doesn't bark at you like a maniac anymore," Maddie pointed out as she placed the roses in a vase and the chocolate on a table.

"He certainly is a smart little dog. He knows who his friends are," Toshinori smiled. He stood up from petting Jack and walked towards Maddie, taking her still shaky hands in his. Her face heated up being so close to him again and she had to swallow to try and get rid of her nerves.

"There's no need to be nervous, Maddie. I'm more on the spot than you are, you know. How am I doing so far?" he asked, staring into her eyes.

"Well, the flowers were a nice touch," she chuckled nervously. _He was making her feel so crazy!_ She couldn't believe the difference in her emotions about him that she was feeling just because she knew this was a romantic date. It changed everything. She felt so much clumsier and more unsure of how to act around him. She had never had this problem before.

"Flowers, got it," he replied. "You look absolutely beautiful you know," he added, pulling her closer.

She felt like she was going to burst into flames. "T-t-thank you, Toshi. Uh, M-maybe we should go now?" she said, her voice stuttering and shaking. Not that she didn't want to be close to him, but if he kept this up any longer, she probably wouldn't be able to let him leave.

"Right, sorry, you sure are distracting," he laughed. "Come, the car is waiting downstairs."

They left the apartment and headed to the car. Toshinori introduced his personal driver and then opened the car door for her and held her hand as she stepped inside, like the gentleman that he was. Soon they were sitting side by side in the back seat and were off to their next destination. Maddie couldn't help but marvel at how well Toshinori fit in the back of the car. He was very tall after all, and very broad.

"So where are we going?" she asked him.

"One of my favorite restaurants. They actually know me pretty well there. I think you'll enjoy it. But I'm not going to tell you any more than that," he replied, waving a finger at her.

"Very well," she chuckled. "So, what made you decide to take me out in full muscle mode? Not that I mind either way, I'm just curious," she said, hoping she hadn't offended him.

"I know you don't," he said reassuringly. "I suppose I just wanted you to be treated like royalty tonight. Which you will be, going out on a date with All Might. I hope you're ok with that."

"Yes, it's fine," she smiled, "it could be fun."

"Also, more practically…uh…if you, uh, decide to continue letting me take you out on dates that is," he cleared his throat and kept his eyes on her expression, gauging if she was comfortable with what he was saying, "it would make more sense for people to see you with me like this since the public doesn't know about my injury. If people know you're dating All Might, they'll have questions if they see you out with my true form. That strange skinny looking guy." He suddenly waved his hands in front of himself in a panic, "Please forgive me if I overstepped my bounds by saying that! It's-it's just what I want…to take you out again…so I was thinking for the future, I hope you don't mind."

Maddie looked away so he wouldn't see her blushing like mad. _He wanted to date her! He really liked her that much?_ "It's ok," she finally managed to say, turning back to face him, "I don't think I mind at all. I…uh…well, let's just see what happens."

"Right," he nodded. "And I'm sorry about all the publicity, I know you're not a big fan of the spotlight."

"Hey, I agreed to go out on a date with All Might. I know what I'm getting myself into, and I've accepted that. Otherwise I would have said no," she said putting a hand on his arm and giving him a smile.

He smiled back at her and then the driver announced they had arrived.

The restaurant was beautiful, up on the rooftop of a building, and crystal lights glowed from all angles as the evening air flowed freely amongst the diners. Live music was playing from string instruments and there was the quiet murmur of people talking and enjoying each other's company. Toshinori led Maddie into the restaurant with her arm weaved through his and announced his reservation to the host.

"Ah, Mr. All Might, welcome! Yes, we have a table for two right over here for you. It has a beautiful view as requested," the host said upon seeing the famous hero. "Ms. Sapphire, welcome. You are looking lovely tonight," he said to Maddie immediately after addressing Toshinori. She thanked him with a blush.

"The staff here were so happy to hear Mr. All Might was bringing a date tonight, and such a beautiful one at that. We were beginning to worry about him," the host continued with a wink as several waitresses and waiters acknowledged them with smiles.

"All right, all right," Toshinori laughed good naturedly, "That's enough from you, Fujiwara. There's nothing wrong with me, it just took me a while to find her again."

"Well we are certainly glad you did. Come this way," the host, Fujiwara said.

As they moved through the restaurant to their table, Maddie noticed the other guests all got quiet and watched All Might and his date walk by, murmuring to each other. No one was so rude as to take any pictures, but she was sure this would be all over the news tomorrow. Several patrons of the restaurant were pro heroes and they waved to Toshinori as he passed by.

They arrived at the table and Fujiwara pulled the chair out for Maddie to sit down. She really was feeling like royalty with everyone fawning over her like this. "Your server will be right with you," the host told them, "Enjoy."

"Doing all right?" Toshinori asked her. "I know a lot of people are watching us."

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's not so bad. It certainly feels strange though, no one has ever paid this much attention to me before."

"Well good, they won't bother us. That's why I like this place, everyone's really respectful of each other."

Their evening continued with wine, well for Maddie at least, and with good food. They talked casually, especially about the upcoming student final exams, and they were getting more and more comfortable with each other again. Toshinori's heart was full. He hadn't felt this happy and at ease for a long time now. Her laugh and gentle voice sounded like a sweet melody to his ears and his eyes rested easy on the details of her face. Everything going on around them was a faded blur and all the troubles of his life were pushed aside. She was the focal point. Was this a dream? It almost seemed too good to be real considering all that had happened between them. She wasn't fighting back or resisting their relationship anymore. She was relaxed and comfortable with him, letting things take their course and responding to everything he said with a comment or a gentle touch. Would it all change as soon as the date was over? He didn't want it too. She made him feel like a hero again.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked out of the blue.

Maddie looked surprised, this wasn't exactly a dancing type of restaurant, though there was live music and a bit of extra space. She contemplated his expression and could see he wasn't kidding. His eyes were holding steady and he outstretched his hand to her.

"Um, is dancing allowed here?" she asked.

"There's no rule against it. Come on, just one song."

"All right," she gave in and put her hand in his. He walked her just a short distance from their table to a slightly more spacious area.

The light breeze on the rooftop teased her hair as he took both of her hands and pulled her into position, this time pressing her body close to his and putting a firm hand on her waist. He could see the blush rise up on her cheeks and could feel her heart beating rapidly against his chest. "It's alright, just relax, and trust me," he softly to her and started swaying and moving her along with the music.

This was so much different from the first time they had danced together at Midnight's party. Number one, Maddie wasn't drunk this time or trying to show off, and number two, this felt so much more intimate. Maddie felt like every part of her was in contact with him and she stared into his eyes as they moved, amazed at how perfect it felt to be in his arms and so close to him. Despite her initial nervousness, she had never felt so safe or more comfortable. The restaurant and all the people watching them faded from her mind as she focused on nothing but Toshinori. She couldn't help but smile and slowly lean into him even more, eventually placing her head on his broad muscled chest. By the time the song was over they seemed to be more in an embrace than a dance position.

As the music faded, they pulled apart and Toshinori ran a finger down the side of her face, "Thank you," he said quietly, "I'll never forget that moment."

The patrons of the restaurant actually clapped for them and many "awws" where heard from the crowd, making Maddie's face turn red again. She rolled with it though, fighting back the embarrassment and actually taking a small bow to the delight of the guests. She'd have to get used to this attention if she was going to date the number one hero.

Toshinori took her back to their table and his smile was extra broad as he pulled the chair out for her and then sat down himself. "That was fantastic what you did back there, Maddie. You really are perfect, you know."

"Perfect? Well, nobody's really perfect. You know my flaws better than most, and I'm sorry you had to see them all before this. I guess I should thank you for still wanting to be with me and giving me another change after how rude and stubborn I was at first," Maddie told him.

"How could I not? You're perfect to me. Maddie, I really meant it when I said I wanted to be with you. I asked you out so I could prove it to you," Toshinori said quietly.

Maddie remained silent, unsure of what to say and still not believing she deserved all this praise.

"We can talk about it later. How about we move on to the highlight of the evening?" Toshinori said to ease her mind.

"What would that be?" Maddie asked.

"Dessert!" Toshinori announced.

Maddie's eyes lit up with sparkles. "Would chocolate be involved in this?"

"Is there any other way?"

"Nope!" Maddie laughed along with him.

After they had consumed an appropriate amount of chocolate, with Toshinori even going so far as to give Maddie the rest of his dessert when she finished hers before him, Toshinori paid for their meal and then took Maddie by the hand.

"That was really nice, and very delicious. I like your favorite restaurant very much," Maddie observed.

"I'm glad you had a good time."

"So where are we going now? Where's the car?" Maddie asked.

"Well, we won't be needing the car. I think I have enough strength left to pull this off." He stepped behind her and lifted her into his arms as if she was made of air. "Ready?" he said, giving her a cocky smile as he watched the realization of what was happening dawn on her face.

"Oh no," Maddie muttered as Toshinori pushed off with his powerful legs into the sky.

After her initial squeal of sudden fright, Maddie calmed down and told herself to just trust him. Yes, it was high, but she had done this before. He had never dropped her…he would never drop her. She had to trust him. She opened her eyes and pulled her face away from his chest, going against her fears to watch the world zoom by beneath them. The sky above was dark and the stars twinkled, reminding her of the time he had danced with her in the sky.

Toshinori finally set down on Dagobah beach with a puff of sand from his impact. He set Maddie down and couldn't help but chuckle at how windblown she looked.

"What? "she demanded as she shook the sand out of her dress and hair.

"Nothing, I just think I messed up your hairdo a little, sorry. Don't worry, you still look cute," he laughed.

"You would say that," she pouted in jest, running a hand through her hair. "That's your favorite thing to do isn't it? Lift me up high in the air without warning to hear me scream."

"It has its charms. Though, I will say, you seemed to be more at ease this time."

"Well, I feel safe around you."

His heart filled with happiness at her words and he couldn't help but beam a smile.

"So, the beach, are we going for a walk along the waves in the moonlight? You're such a romantic, Toshi," she teased.

"I thought it'd be nice," he said defensively. "I just wanted to be alone with you for a while."

She blushed and put a hand on his arm. "I was just teasing you. I think it's the perfect idea." She pulled off her sandals, hanging them by the back strap around the fingers of one hand and wiggled her toes in the sand. "Take off your shoes too and let's walk in the surf," she suggested.

"Alright," he smiled, relieved she didn't think his ideas were too silly.

They walked along the beach, letting the waves lap up around their feet. The water was getting warmer now that summer was on its way, but it was still a little cold. Toshinori suddenly started feeling a little nervous and awkward again. The date was nearing its end and he'd soon have to decide if he was going to try and kiss her or not. The thought was strangely terrifying.

He watched her as she walked by his side with her arm resting on his. She seemed lost in thought and was so peaceful as she casually used her quirk to make the ocean dance as they walked by. The moonlight graced her face, making it look even softer and giving her a gorgeous glow. She was a living goddess, and he didn't feel worthy of touching her, but he wanted to more than anything. All of the sudden he felt weak and the steam of his power limit started rising off his body. _Shit._ He had been so distracted by the woman at his side he hadn't realized how long they had been walking and how long he had been holding his form. Unfortunately, he'd have to end the date right now so he'd be able to take her home.

His steps stumbled a little as he tried to fight back and hold onto his power just a little longer, but Maddie noticed immediately. "Toshi," she said with concern, stopping their walk and turning towards him. "You've reached your limit haven't you."

"It looks that way, sorry, I wasn't paying attention to the time I had left. I think I can hold it long enough to get you home," he said.

"Why?"

"Huh?'

"It's alright, you're with me and there's no one else around, just let go. We don't have to end our evening just because you have to revert back to your true form," she said.

"Well, I…" he stopped, unable to come up with an argument. He didn't want to say out loud that he had wanted to end their date that night with the best impression of himself.

But he didn't have to say it out loud, she figured it out. "You know I like you just the way you are, powered up and full of muscles or shaggy with your big puppy dog eyes."

He coughed as her words melted him and his true form popped out through the steam. She was right there, holding his large hands and leaning into his thin chest as the steam lifted away from his body. "There you are," she smiled, reaching up and running a hand through his unkept golden hair.

He couldn't hold himself back any longer. His heart was pounding faster than it ever had and he was on the brink of tearing up over how much he loved her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, a hand came up to her face, pulling her windswept hair away from her glowing blue eyes. He was on fire as he bent his head down and his lips met hers in a soft warm kiss, putting his own hands in her hair and pulling her face closer to his. He didn't know why he had been so nervous before, this was the most perfect and natural feeling in the world. His passion for her sparked and caught flame inside him, continuing to burn and rise through his body as he kissed her deeply on the beach beneath the stars.

It was Maddie's turn to melt under his touch as he ran his hands through her hair with his lips locked onto hers. She quivered with passion, finally letting go and accepting him completely as she kissed him back. All too soon they had to come up for air and finally broke apart, breathing heavily and leaning their foreheads against each other's as they looked into each other's eyes.

"I can't tell you how long I've wanted that," Toshinori finally breathed quietly.

Maddie smiled. "Sorry it took me so long," she replied.

He pulled her into his chest and rested his chin on her head as he held her. She leaned into him and closed her eyes, completely content to stay like this forever.

"Does this mean you'll go out with me again?" he asked after a while.

"Yes, I think it does," she lightly chuckled.

"Can I tell you something?" he asked again.

"What is it?"

"I love you."

Her breath caught in her chest and she pulled back to look at him. She could tell from his eyes that he meant it and that he had felt this way for a long time now, she had just been too stubborn and foolish to see it. Is this what that strange conflicting feeling she had been dealing with for so long was all about? She had fallen in love with him too and hadn't even let herself realize it.

"You don't have to feel the same way," Toshinori said quickly with a hint of sadness in his voice. "I know this all new for you and kind of sudden—"

"No," she said quieting him with two fingers to his lips. "I…I think I'm in love with you too, I've only just realized it," she smiled, her eyes suddenly lighting up with joy.

Toshinori couldn't stop his bubbling laugh as he pulled her back to him and spun her around. "This is the greatest day of my life!" he announced.

She giggled at his antics. "Ok, maybe we should calm down now."

"Right!" he announced again. "I should actually get you home. We've got to prep for the student final exams starting tomorrow after all."

"Um, I thought you were all out of power?"

"Are you kidding me? You've recharged me enough to get you back at least. So, you ready, Bubbles?"

"Yeah, I'm ready, Muscles."

Toshinori scooped her up into his arms and then powered back up, expanding around her, and then leaping forward to speed her home. They arrived on her apartment porch in a rush of wind and he set her down so she could open her door, and then went inside with her where they greeted a happy Jack.

"So, uh, I should probably go while I still have some strength to get myself home," Toshinori said.

"Oh, sure. You, uh, didn't want to stay for a while then? Maddie asked.

"I'd love nothing better, but I don't want to make the mistake again of moving things to fast with you. Besides, it's very late and I want you to get some rest. Big day at school tomorrow," he explained.

"Yeah, you're right. It's probably the best idea," she replied.

"Alright, well, sleep well, Maddie. Don't forget about all that happened tonight, I meant everything."

"I know, and don't worry, how could I forget?"

He grabbed her suddenly and pulled her into another kiss. This time full of more power and strength because of his powered-up form, but she could still feel the same love and warmth seeping into her. He was the same person no matter what he looked like, his neck was just a little thicker and it took more effort to wrap her arms around it and pull into the kiss.

"I better go" he said shakily as he pulled away from her. "If I don't, I might not be able to leave"

"Good night, Toshi."

"Goodnight, Maddie."

He left her standing alone with a sudden rush of speed and his lingering warmth on her smiling lips. She was in love with All Might. She couldn't wait until tomorrow to see him again. Was it wrong for a mature adult woman to squeal like a school girl? She didn't really care.

 **A/N: Thank for reading! And thanks for your reviews, they are all so nice and appreciated! :)**


	17. Talk of the School

**A/N: Hi everyone! Let me just say I have no excuse for not updating this story much sooner than now, but I thank everyone who read and commented on it or sent me a message. I am so sorry it's been so long! Anyway, I reread it to make sure I keep the same tone and feel to it and I only have a few more chapters to go, so let's finish this thing! Also, sorry for so many grammatical mistakes in the story, I may have to go back and fix some of that, and maybe change a few things to make the story flow a little better :)**

Ch 17: Talk of the School

Maddie strolled onto UA High campus the next morning with confidence and serious pep in her step. She greeted all the students she encountered with a joyful good morning and received some curious glances, but she didn't care, she was going to see Toshinori today! How would it happen when they met up again, she wondered as her heart pounded at the thought. Would he burst into her classroom with a broad gleaming smile and sweep her up into his arms? _No, wait, stop it, Maddie_ , she fussed to herself. They were at school…at work…of course he wouldn't. They had to stay professional in front of the students, but…she could daydream, couldn't she?

She was still on a high when she entered her classroom, but took a sharp turn straight down when she saw Midnight sitting at her desk with her hands resting behind her head. "Ah, I see you're running a little late this morning, eh Maddie?" Midnight greeted her mischievously.

Shit. Midnight knew. Maddie had told her. Take a deep breath, she didn't know everything. All she knew was that Maddie had gone on a date with Toshinori. That's it. She didn't know how intense it had gotten. It should be fine. "Oh, uh, good morning, Nemuri. I guess I did oversleep just a little, and-and the train was running a bit late."

"Mmhmm, a likely story. So, are you going to tell me how your date went last night or am I going to have to force it out of you?"

"My date? Uh…" Maddie started fidgeting. "It was nice. Nothing really to report, just a normal date. We had dinner and talked and…yeah."

"Oh really?" Midnight said with raised eyebrows. "So tell me then, if nothing really happened, what does he mean by writing you this?"

Maddie's eyes got wide as she noticed the bouquet of flowers on her desk that Midnight had snatched the card from and was holding in her hand. "Oh, Nemuri, no!" Maddie nearly yelled, dropping her bag on the floor and putting her hands on her face in embarrassment.

"Oho, Maddie, yes!" Midnight announced triumphantly in glee. She then happily proceeded to read the card out loud:

" _To Bubbles, she who's beauty the moonlight graced and the stars shone upon so brightly last night. I send these flowers, that could never come close to comparing to the perfection of your face, to tell you that I long for the taste of your sweet lips upon my own again and your warm embrace. Have a Plus Ultra day!_

 _Love, Muscles"_

Maddie's face turned even darker red with each word Midnight read to her and she pressed her hands more deeply into her face with each phrase. She didn't know whether to die in embarrassment or to dance with joy over the sweet words Toshinori had written her.

"He's quite the romantic," Midnight observed when she had finished reading the note. "Almost sickeningly so in a sweet sort of way. But then he went and ruined it by putting "Plus Ultra" down. Weird."

Maddie snapped herself out of her emotional roller coaster and dashed forward, trying to snatch the card from her friend. "Give me that, Nemuri!"

"Not 'til you admit it! A lot more happened last night than you're letting on," Midnight said, keeping the card out of reach.

"Oh, fine!" Maddie fumed, giving up and throwing her hands into the air. "We walked on the beach and we kissed alright! Happy yet?"

"No, give me all the details! I want to know!" Midnight demanded. She stopped and gasped, "Did you sleep with him?"

"What? No! He was the perfect gentleman the whole night. He dropped me off at home and kissed me goodnight and that was that!"

"Did you kiss him back? Did you feel the passion? Are you in love with him?" Midnight questioned excitedly with an eyebrow raised.

"So what if I am," Maddie pouted, clearly annoyed with her questioning.

"Well, you've ranted to me and Mic so many times about how much you can't stand the man. You can't blame me for being curious about what changed."

"I changed," Maddie answered with a secret smile. "He…he didn't give up on me. He pushed past all the walls I had built up around my heart and he found it and took it for his own. I didn't even notice until now how much I'd fallen for him."

"Awww," Midnight cooed and walked over, placing the card in Maddie's hand. "Well, if it couldn't be me then I'm glad it's him. He's been through a lot, and there's more to come. He'll need you by his side. And you're right, you have changed a bit. You don't have that stick up your butt like you did when you first got here."

"Hey!"

Midnight just laughed.

The door to the classroom opened and Present Mic's tall hair peaked in through the cracked door. "Is everything all right I here? I thought I heard shouting?" he asked.

"What the hell, Hizashi! This is girl talk, get out!" Midnight yelled at him.

"Oh, sorry!" Mic said in surprise and scrambled away. Midnight and Maddie laughed together this time.

* * *

The rest of the day went normally as Maddie administered the final exams for her science class. The hero students would also be taking a hero course final after the written exams, and she could tell by how nervous they all seemed that they had no idea what to expect.

She hadn't seen Toshinori yet that day, which was starting to get her down a little, but she had started to notice some of the students and other teachers were acting strangely towards her. They were giving her secret smiles and talking to each other in hushed tones when she would walk by. Realization suddenly struck her and she grabbed her phone and opened her news and social media apps. Yep…there it was…all over the news. _All Might seen out on a date last night with fellow UA teacher and support hero, Sapphire._ Oh, God. Her cheeks flushed in a blush and she darted back to her classroom. She didn't think she could face the teacher's lounge. The whole school probably knew by now. She had known what she was getting herself into, but actually dealing with it was a little harder than she had expected. She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. She had to try and play it cool. He was worth it.

"Ms. Sapphire, did you really go on a date with All Might?" Mina Ashido asked during her next class.

"Uh, well that's not…I mean, that's not on the topic of science now is it?" Maddie fumbled.

"You're avoiding the question, that means it's true," Yaoyorozu logically pointed out. "Besides, it is technically on topic, it's chemistry. Loooove chemistry!"

Class 1A giggled and "oooed" as Maddie blushed it out. "All right, well, my personal life doesn't really have anything to do with this class now does it?"

"It does if it involves All Might," Mineta pipped in.

"Yeah, you should have expected this, Ms. Sapphire. I mean, it's All Might! Everyone's going to want to talk to you and know everything about you now," Jiro pointed out.

"Mmmhmm, the whole world is going to want to know what the number one hero sees in you," Ashido said with dreamy eyes.

Maddie chuckled nervously, "Well, back to the exam now, right?"

The students sighed and grumbled, wanting to know more about the most interesting topic of the day, Sapphire and All Might. The girls in the class kept giving her adoring glances through the rest of the exam, and Midoriya just stared at her in shock, his face as white as a sheet. She supposed she would need to talk with him about it later. He had a special bond with Toshinori that she couldn't ignore. Maybe Toshinori should speak with him too.

The rest of her classes went similarly. The girls would gush and ask her questions while the boys sat there awkwardly. After her last class, she was finally looking forward to retreating from all the attention she had been getting over the course of the day, but, of course, that had to be ruined as well when the cute fuzzy ears of principal Nezu entered her classroom.

"Good day, Sapphire. Are you doing alright?"

"Oh! Principal Nezu! Nice to see you. Yes-yes, I'm doing fine," Maddie replied nervously.

"Oh good, then you won't mind coming with me to my office? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Uh, yes, sir." Maddie followed him, dragging her feet and avoiding eye contact with anyone in the hallway. This was going to be bad! What was the school's policy on dating coworkers? She didn't know!

They opened the big doors to his office and Maddie's eyes were immediately drawn to Toshinori who stood by the window. Her heart leapt to her throat and she made a strangled sound, mentally stopping herself from diving into his skinny arms. He seemed much more composed than she was, but she knew he had to have some sort of turmoil inside.

Nezu sat behind his desk and clasped his paws together. "Now that we are all here, I just wanted to talk with you both really quick."

Maddie felt sweat beading up on her forehead.

"I've seen the news of course, and I've heard the school chatter today, and I just wanted to say that I am very happy that you two are together," Nezu said calmly.

"What?!" Maddie nearly shouted.

"Easy, calm down," Nezu chuckled. "it's fine, it really is, as long as you are professional about it. You know, no "pda" at the school…things like that."

"Oh no problem, sir. We'll keep it one hundred percent professional," Toshinori saluted.

Maddie wanted to die inside with relief. She couldn't even speak.

"Now, I'm sure you've discovered, Sapphire, that the students already know or at least suspect something is going on between the two of you. Word travels fast these days, after all. So just keep on your toes around them and keep your answers to their questions vague. It's really no business of theirs what you do in your personal lives. The novelty will wear off once they become used to it," Nezu explained.

"Yes, sir," Maddie replied, well aware of what the students knew.

Toshinori looked at her with concern. "Are you alright? I'm sorry I wasn't here today. I shouldn't have left you to bear all of this on your own."

"It's ok, I did surprisingly well. You don't have to worry about it," she told him with a smile.

Toshinori wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms. _Damn, Nezu had to be sitting right there!_

"Well, good, I'm glad that's settled!" Nezu exclaimed happily. "And I must congratulate you both! Ah, there's nothing that makes me happier than seeing romance blossom," the little mouse-bear said in a happy daze. "Come to me if you have any problems."

"Thank you, Principal Nezu, I can't believe how ok you are with all this," Maddie told him.

"And why wouldn't I be? Why do you think I hired you, mmm?"

"Uh, what?"

"Never mind! I'm going now!" Nezu yipped and then made his way casually out of the office and closed the door behind him.

Maddie was still trying to muddle through what the principal had said when Toshinori pulled her to him and held her against his chest. "I'm really sorry," he said again.

"Hey, it's fine. Like I said, I knew what I was getting into," she replied into his chest. She pulled back and gazed at him, just happy to be with him again. "No one was cruel or anything, most were just excited and curious. Thank for the flowers and the note, by the way. That was really sweet."

Toshinori blushed and kissed her on the forehead. "You're welcome."

They smiled at each other like fools for a while before Toshinori pulled her in for a kiss, drinking deeply from her lips.

"It feels like contraband, kissing you in the principal's office," Maddie giggled after the kiss.

Toshinori chuckled too and then took her hand. "Come on, we should go." He powered up and then they left the office, still holding hands. It was the end of the school day after all, and he thought he could get away with it, at least for today.


	18. Finals

Chapter 18: Finals

After three days of written exams, the hero final practical was finally upon them, and the faculty had quite the surprise in store for their students. Class 1A was up first, and were surprised to hear they would be battling their own professors for their final. Each student was paired up and a teacher was selected to combat them. They either had to capture the teacher or make it to the exit to pass the final. The teachers would be handicapped with heavy wrist bands created by the hero support students, but despite the handicap, it was going to be a tough fight for each student.

Maddie sat with Recovery Girl in the observation room. They would be on standby if anyone got injured. She watched as each student was told their partner and the teacher they would be pitted against. Toshinori was going to be taking on Midoriya and Bakugo. Maddie wondered who had thought it would be a good idea to put such an explosive pairing together. Toshinori would keep them from killing each other, right? She wondered if he had talked to Midoriya about dating her yet?

They hadn't had much time to spend together with the final exams to worry about, but their relationship had certainly changed. They gave each other secret glances when passing in the hallway, and Toshinori took every opportunity to graze her with a mischievous or loving touch when he thought no one was looking. They had to be extra careful at this point since the news of the two of them was so fresh and so many eyes were watching them, but Maddie couldn't help but blush and her heart couldn't help but race every time she was near him or he touched her ever so slightly. She was really bad at keeping secrets. She was pretty sure every student in the school knew what was going on, and the questions and giggles directed towards her were non-stop. The faculty were just as bad as the students as far as she was concerned. The winks and the nudges were just the beginning. She was sure she'd have to discuss it with them at some point.

"So, how's it going with All Might?" Recovery Girl asked her as they observed the monitor. _Oh boy…it's already started._

"Uh, how's it going? I guess that means you know what's happened over the last few days between us?" Maddie said nervously. _How was she supposed to talk about this?_

"Yes, dear, everyone does. It's all over the news. I think you should start preparing for the questions that are coming your way," Recovery Girl pointed out.

"Right," Maddie said quietly.

"Look, it's nothing to be ashamed of. From what I can tell, everyone's really happy for you two. They're just curious. Especially those of us that had an invested interest, such as myself," Recovery Girl explained. She turned towards Maddie and leaned back in her chair, "Ah, yes, I remember that day after All Might had to fight the first nomu at the USJ. That was when I first noticed how much he liked you. You came to visit him in the nurse's office, do you remember? He got so jealous of Tsukauchi flirting with you! Ant then when I had you heal him and bandage him up! Ha!" Recovery Girl chuckled to herself, "He was blushing so hard! That's also the day I noticed your attitude towards him changing. It was like your eyes had been opened and you finally looked past your stubbornness. Though, the best part was the night he brought you to my house all pale and covered with blood. He was so worried about you, and I'm pretty sure I walked in on him about to kiss you. I'm so glad it all worked out. He really needed you, and I think you really need him."

Maddie smiled, "Yeah, I think you're right. And I'm sorry I've been so secretive about all this. I know many of you had a part to play in encouraging me to give him a chance. Especially you, Mic, and Midnight. I guess it's just the way I am. I'm not really an open book, but I'll try to be a little more forthcoming from now on."

The first match of the finals was starting and the images were projected o the viewing monitor, interrupting their conversation. The door to the room opened and Maddie saw the familiar green hair of Midoriya enter the room. He tripped up a little when he saw her, but then smiled and made his way over to the monitor.

"Hi Midoriya," Maddie said nervously. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be strategizing with Bakugo? Your exam is probably going to be the most difficult."

"Yeah, I know, but I don't think Kachan is going to talk to me, so I thought I'd watch the other students. I might learn something," Midoriya replied.

"It's a smart strategy," Recovery Girl agreed.

"Right," Maddie confirmed.

He stood next to her awkwardly as they watched Sato and Kirishima start their exam first.

"Do you think you're ready, Midoriya?" Maddie asked. "Anything we can do to help?"

"Well…if you don't mind me asking, uh, how did All Might seem today?"

"Uh, what?"

"Well, is he at full power or maybe not so much? Like maybe he's a little tired or used some of his strength this morning? Any little advantage helps," Midoriya explained.

"Why would you think I would know how he was this morning?" Maddie squeaked.

Recovery Girl couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm sorry!" Midoriya exclaimed with a look of fear on his face. "I didn't mean to insinuate anything, I was just…it's just…well you're close to him so I thought…I mean he talked to me about it…I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have brought it up! Please forgive me!" Midoriya rambled with much bowing and pleading.

"It's ok, Midoriya," Maddie said with some relief, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "So All Might told you about what's going on between us?"

"Yeah," Midoriya swallowed. "That he's dating you. Believe me, ma'am, it was a very awkward conversation."

"Good, I'm glad you officially know. Just don't go spreading it around too much, Ok? I know you have a strong connection to All Might, so I'm glad he talked to you about it. Are we cool?" Maddie asked.

"Yes, absolutely cool! I mean, I think it's great," Midoriya said, "just a little unexpected and…weird, I'm sorry! It's just you're both my teachers and it's kind of—"

"Don't worry about it, Izuku," Maddie actually chuckled. "I understand. But you should really focus on your exam now, and…I'm sorry to say that I don't really know how All Might is doing this morning. I haven't seen him. I'd assume he's just as formidable as ever, though, so don't look for any weaknesses. Just use your own strengths. You'll do fine."

"Thanks, Ms. Sapphire."

They watched the rest of the matches and Midoriya analyzed each one, pointing things out for Recovery Girl and Maddie to comment on and realizing why each student pair had been selected. As the other students finished their matches, they began to congregate in the viewing room as well to watch each other perform. Pretty soon it was Midoriya's turn, the last exam of the day. Maddie gave him an encouraging smile as he left the room, squaring his shoulders to prepare to fight his childhood hero.

As soon as the two boys, Midoriya and Bakugo, entered the testing arena, Maddie watched in awe as All Might didn't hold back, ripping up the mock city landscape with a powerful move and truly taking on the role of the villain. Midoriya seemed at a loss at first, not sure how to take on his powerful hero or try to form some sort of team with the uncooperative Bakugo. Ultimately, it ended with the two students getting mercilessly slammed by the unrelenting Toshinori, until Midoriya realized he just needed to get past the exit gate. Somehow, he was able to grab an injured Bakugo, refusing to leave him behind, and shoot out of the gate while All Might was distracted, just passing the exam. Recovery Girls and Maddie rushed down to the scene, ready to help the two boys as they came stumbling back from their exam.

Toshinori stood in the arena and released the weight cuffs from around his wrists. Midoriya and Bakugo never ceased to amaze him. They still needed to work on their relationship and the constant hate that seemed to be between them, but they had managed to cooperate just enough to pass the final.

A small sound like someone clearing their throat shook him from his thoughts and made him look towards the exit sign of the arena. Maddie was there, leaning against the gate with her eyebrows raised. "I'm certainly glad you're on our side and not really a villain," she said, "You really messed this place up."

"I must admit, it was kind of fun being the bad guy for once," he smiled.

"Do my ears deceive me?" she chuckled. "The symbol of peace _enjoys_ being the bad guy?"

"Just this once," he said with amusement. He walked towards her and stopped in front of her, an idea forming in his mind. "Hey, will you come over to my place for dinner tonight? I was going to take you out but, uh, those kids hit pretty hard," Toshinori chuckled. "I don't think I have enough power in me to hold my form, so I thought I'd make you dinner at my apartment instead."

"Yes, of course I will, that sounds perfect," Maddie answered with enthusiasm. "I'm looking forward to it. Should I come a little early to help out?"

"No, I want to do this for you."

"Well, alright then. Guess I'll see you tonight."

She reached up, standing on her toes to kiss him on the cheek and he grabbed her, lifting her up before she could leave. "You're not getting off that easy," he chuckled and kissed her firmly on the lips.

She sighed into his kiss, feeling his muscles pressed up against her body and his strong arms holding her easily off the ground. She felt so at home in his embrace. Her body longed for more and she pulled herself more fiercely into him, moaning a little and moving against him. He had to pull her off and he gently cupped her face as she breathed heavily.

"Let's not get too carried away just yet. We _are_ still on campus," he said.

"Right, sorry," she grinned. "Sometimes I Just can't help it. I'm glad you're stronger than me."

"Not by much," he whispered to her, bending down to kiss her on the cheek. "Don't think you're not absolutely irresistible," he added before letting her go and speeding off towards the clinic to check on Midoriya and Bakugo before he lost too much more power.

After a strong scolding from Recovery Girl about how he shouldn't have hurt the two boys as much as he did, Toshinori was able to rush home and start preparing for Maddie. He felt really bad about knocking Bakugo out cold and messing up Midoriya's back, but he hadn't wanted to hold back on them. He had wanted to give them a real fight and a chance to prove themselves, and he was very proud of what they had accomplished. He couldn't wait to see how strong they would become in the future. He had to put his thoughts aside and focus on the cooking at hand, a far more testing challenge than taking down a villain. Maybe he should have asked Lunch Rush for some pointers? But, how hard could it really be?

* * *

Maddie took the elevator up to Toshinori's apartment and buzzed the door. Despite their relationship being official and knowing how much he cared for her, she still couldn't help but feel a little nervous. After all, the last time she had been here she had drunkenly made out with him and then fallen asleep in his bed. So, maybe this was good. She could do the same thing again, but minus the drunk part and the rushing out in a hurry the next morning. She blushed to herself thinking about staying the night at his place. Would it happen this time?

A split second later Toshinori opened the door wearing a goofy smile and a very dirty cooking apron. "Hi Bubbles, you look amazing as always," he grinned.

"So do you," she giggled at his appearance.

"You're too kind, please come on in!" he said happily, inviting her into his home.

"It smells great in here," Maddie commented as she walked in and tried peeking into the kitchen. "What are you making?"

"You'll have to see when it's done," he said coming up behind her.

"Oh, so secretive," she smiled, turning to face him. Surprisingly, all her nervousness had vanished and she felt completely comfortable in his presence. "Thanks for doing all this for me, it's really sweet." She reached up to kiss him and he kissed her back, but tried his best to keep distance between their bodies.

"I don't want to get your clothes dirty, I'm covered in food," he pointed out.

"Oh, I don't care too much about that."

"Well, in that case," he said and then abruptly pulled her close and kissed her again. "Come on, let me show you the table."

Toshinori led her to his table that he had decorated with candles and roses. "Wow," Maddie said. "You really went all out. It looks very nice."

"Thank you. Why don't you sit down and I'll get you something to drink while I go finish up in that mess in there," he said guiding her to a chair and indicating the kitchen.

"Ok, sounds good."

Toshinori soon fetched her a glass of red wine and then made his way back to the kitchen. Maddie smiled and looked around the room, heart so full and happy to be here. It had been a long time since anyone had made her feel so special. He had gone through all this effort just for her, and she still didn't feel like she deserved it.

Toshinori soon came back into the room carrying two plates. "Ready?" he asked excitedly. "I wasn't so sure about my abilities in the kitchen, but I feel like this came out rather well."

"Wait, is that pizza?" Maddie asked.

"Yup, I thought you might like some traditional American food after being gone from your home country for so long," Toshinori offered.

"Toshi, this is wonderful! Wow, thank you so much for being so thoughtful! Pizza is actually Italian but, uh, never mind."

"Well, taste it first before you sing it's praises," Toshinori laughed. "I haven't eaten an American pizza in so long that I don't really remember what it's supposed to taste like."

After dinner, which was surprisingly good and only tasted a little bit off from what she remembered a pizza to taste, they cleaned up the kitchen together. Toshinori had protested at first, but Maddie insisted that he let her help since he had gone through so much trouble to cook for her. The kitchen was a mess and it looked like he had used every available counter space for something and almost every dish he owned. _It was only pizza, was he always this messy_ , she laughed to herself.

"So, what else do you have planned for tonight?" Maddie asked casually.

"Oh, I actually didn't think that far ahead. I guess I had hoped it would work itself out," Toshinori said nervously. "Fell free to head home anytime that you'd like…but I was hoping you would stay…at least for a little while longer."

"Hmmm, I don't think a little while longer would hurt," Maddie replied with a shy smile.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Toshinori said. "Want to sit down?"

She followed him into the sitting room and they sat down on the sofa. He had a fire started in his fireplace and the lights off in the room, so the mood was quite cozy and warm. Toshinori had thought of suggesting they watch a movie, but as soon as they were seated, all thoughts of entertaining escaped his mind as she immediately snuggled up against him and lay her head on his chest. All he could think about was the smooth softness of her body and the way her warmth seeped into his soul. He wanted so desperately to be even closer to her, but at the same time, he wasn't sure if he was ready. She had seen his scar before, she had even touched it, but for some reason this was different from all of those other times and he felt the old insecurities welling up inside.

"Hey, uh, Maddie?" he whispered to her as he felt her hands already working themselves under his shirt.

Maddie felt his body tensing up under her touch as he questioned her. "What is it, Toshi?" she asked softly.

"I'm just not sure if I'm worthy of this, of you," he replied with a shaky voice and sat up a little more on the couch, looking her in the eyes. "You've seen my scar and you've seen how I've wasted away from who I used to be. Are you sure this is what you want?"

"You're my broken seashell, Toshinori. I'd chose you every time, and you're all that I want. I'm going to work with you and I'm going to be there for you through it all, no matter what," she answered firmly, looking at him right back.

He smiled and caressed her face. "And I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

 **A/N: Hi everyone! First of all, as always, thanks for reading! Secondly, I was planning on there really being only one more chapter after this one, since this is basically the end of season 2 of the anime. I could continue writing the story following the events of the rest of the show, though it will take some time, so you'll have to bear with me. I'll let you know! 😊**

 **!Also, the next chapter will be why I decided to rate this story "M", so if you would like to skip it you can. Otherwise I'll do my best to heat things up between our characters 😉!**


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